AFCI/GFCI combo outlets

[fermentedhiker]

Well, any outlets on the circuit would also trigger the afci. Gfci is pretty reliable in comparison to afci. Gfci measures any voltage on ground, afci measures the difference between hot and neutral aka arcs. I just wanted to point out other outlets may also play into the picture. See what else is on the circuit like lights appliances etc...

You've got it wrong. GFCI doesn't measure current on the ground at all. This is why a GFCI will work even with the ground disconnected. It measures the difference between the current on the Hot and Neutral. Arc Faults are looking for a completely different condition, which is why high current motors like vacuum cleaners which have an inductive kick when starting or stopping can cause nuisance tripping on Arc Fault breakers. And your point about wiring in parallel or series(not really the correct term) is incorrect. Wiring regular outlets load style is in no way inferior to wiring them parallel. The only real reason to wire them parallel is if you wish to prevent a problem at one outlet from shutting off the rest.

 

[wangspeed]

Big storm here yesterday. We had some brownouts and Power fluctuation, and some of these outlets tripped and required manual resets. Not a big deal in a bathroom, but total deal killer on the tank.

 

[wangspeed]

Trying hospital grade GFCI outlets. No AFCI this time.

 

[Moo76]

you do have a ground fault (leakage), a bad GFCI or a bad connection somewhere in the circuit.
try splitting off devices to an extension chord and isolating each. You might be surprised.

I would never go without a GFCI, you really can get killed.

 

[wangspeed]

you do have a ground fault (leakage), a bad GFCI or a bad connection somewhere in the circuit.
try splitting off devices to an extension chord and isolating each. You might be surprised.

I would never go without a GFCI, you really can get killed.

I dropped the AFCI part. I should have researched better, but AFCI receptacles are notorious for false tripping. All 3 receptacles have just GFCI now. The only device I have that could possibly trip it is a ballast for a 50W UV. I separated that to an EB832 Power bar that has non-critical devices.

 

[OriginalUserName]

i was wondering on the meening pigtails too??

For me it's helpful to visualize electricity in terms of something simple like water flow (I know this falls apart in more complicated situations like 220). For this consider that the electricity doesn't have to flow through that outlet to reach the downstream outlets.

For GFI this means that the downstream outlets won't be GFI protected, which for an aquarium is usually the better setup.

We just passed inspection for our basement project. They didn’t require AFCI. Maybe because it’s the basement? I’m in VA.

I haven't lived anywhere where AFCI is a requirement. (I'm far from an expert)

you do have a ground fault (leakage), a bad GFCI or a bad connection somewhere in the circuit.
try splitting off devices to an extension chord and isolating each. You might be surprised.

I would never go without a GFCI, you really can get killed.

This. Before I knew better I never thought about it. Setup your aquarium and go. But now I'd never stick my hand in a bucket of saltwater with a crap load of electronics plugged into it without one. At least one of the plug in versions.

I agree. It sounds like he may have a problem in the circuit somewhere. ​

 

[wangspeed]

Hospital grade GFCI only seems to be working fine. No false trips. The combo AFCI/GFCI get a major thumbs down from me. I have had 4 on 4 completely independent circuits trip. I have even had one that tripped that did not trigger a downstream GFCI on the same circuit, but not wired to rely on this AFCI/GFCI receptacle.

 

[siggy]

This may be where your problems lye,....from a code forum////// AFCI breakers generally have ground fault protection also, whereas I do not believe AFCI receptacles do. This is sometimes a problem on houses with "shared neutral" circuits (sometimes called Edison Circuits) as the ground fault protection logic will trip the breaker upon application of a load.

This is being Adopted in my area/// combo arc fault/ GFCI breakers. A call to the city building department confirmed that, some municipalities are now requiring these combo breakers on pretty much all but small appliance circuits
--- this next was on the receptacles:

• Everybody seems to dislike AFCI and GFCI devices, blaming them for nuisance or false trips. The fact is, they're there to protect you. Maybe we should stop blaming these devices, and start pointing the finger at manufacturers who make products that cause these devices to trip. These devices have been around for some time now, there's no excuse for manufacturers to not make their devices compatible with them. – Tester101♦

My experiences with devices is that IF YOU HAVE A CRITICAL APPLICATION Garage/refridgerator/frezer/shed/fish tank and on..... always use quality devices, commercial or industrial Grades.

 

[n2585722]

Pumps and other inductive loads such as motors can fool AFCI circuits. Especially ones that use motors that have brushes as these do arc when the motor is running. Inductive loads can cause voltage spikes especially when they are powered off which can be interpreted as an arc. I am not sure what you have running on those circuits but one or more items can be fooling the arc fault circuit.