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RE: Will Such Change Really Enhance Safety?

I've had AFCI breakers installed in my home since 2001, before the NEC requirement came into effect in 2002. My 2-channel system has been on an AFCI breaker protected circuit since that time, and I have not heard any sonic downside.

When I replaced my original AFCI breakers with second generation devices, I carefully opened up one of the old ones up to see how it was constructed. It consisted of a standard breaker and PC board containing the arc detection circuitry, with a wall completely separating the two, except for a tiny hole through which passed the armature of a solenoid on the PC board. When the circuit detects an arc fault condition, it activates the solenoid, mechanically tripping the breaker, in the same way a mouse would trip a mouse trap.

If the contruction off the new AFCI receptacles are going to be anything like GFCI receptacles, IMO that's a whole different ballgame. GFCI receptacles have current passing through thin PC board traces, the contacts are wimpy in design, the material they are made of is questionable, contain steel parts in the electrical path, and in my experience, they degrade the sound.


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