Is it best to replace standard breakers with AFCI's if I already have GFCI's installed as my first receptacle in my outlet circuits or should I use the dual AFCI/GFCI breaker ?
I read where it stated will work with some Sq D panels.... how do I tell if these "plug on neutral" style will work in my HOMC30UC panel?
Just so you are aware, here is a quote from one manufacturer claiming their AFCI breakers will tolerate the problem of shared/mixed neutrals.
"It seems that even some of the simplest wiring and retrofit jobs have become complicated and even painful with the expanding NEC arc fault requirements. Multi-wire circuits and shared/mixed neutral installations did not work easily with AFCI protection. Electricians had to rethink how they wire new work and, even worse, spend hours tracing neutrals to install new AFCI breakers in old work."
The part about "spend hours tracing neutrals" can be frustratingly accurate.
If you want to try it and can find an AFCI for your panel, get one and install it on each circuit for several days. If you do have mixed or shared neutrals on some or all circuits, you're only out the price of one AFCI. Just my opinion.
Thanks for the response. Do you know if they are referring specifically to the dual breakers that have the "plug-on-neutral" (no neutral pigtail) or the Dual AFCI/GFCI with neutral pigtail ?
I currently have a dual with neutral pigtail installed and haven't had issues with that (so far) but it is for exterior entry lights and flood lights.
Exterior and entry light circuits can stay on the GFI receptacle.
You can use a GFI receptacle on an AFCI breaker but I'm not sure how trouble free that will be.
If you want to protect the circuit with both types of protection... use the dual breaker
and remove the GFI receptacle.
Your panel is on the left and use standard neutral connections with wire.
The panel on the right is the snap on neutral type. The red arrows point to the snap on bus.
Pete - Thanks for showing me the example of a "plug on neutral" panel. I wish I had known about this before the guy installed my panel. My problem is now I bought and already installed GFCI receptacles in ~6 circuits and cant return them.
Think I'll chock it up as a lesson learned, remove the GFI receptacles and install the dual AFI/GFI breakers with the pigtails.
Thanks for the help!
Sorry, I don't see why you feel you have to remove the GFCI receptacles on circuits with AFCI breakers and then replace those breakers with dual AFCI/GFCI breakers. That's going to cost a lot of money you really don't have to spend in my opinion. Maybe I am missing something here.
What could cause a duplex outlet to get so hot as to start melting and showing scorching on the exterior. This was in my kitchen sink base cabinet and the disposal was plugged into the other outlet in a 2 gang box. Nothing had ever been plugged into this outlet for the 10 yrs it had been installed. Last night my wife suddenly yelled that something was wrong in the kitchen. Smoke was boiling out of the cabinet. The breaker did trip, but not until the outlet was scorched and starting to melt. The wiring does not appear damaged. I've lived 78 years and never saw anything like this. Really confused.
I have a trash pump unit with a 4/10 motor inside, specs say it continuously runs on 12 amps and the start up amps are 22 .5. Would a 15 amp breaker trip every time because of the high start up amps? Would a 20 amp breaker trip also?
01-30-23, 06:33 AM
