Breaking the Circuit Breaker-The Testing of AFCI circuits-Chelan Home Inspection

Well really I am not breaking the breaker, but I could.

Since 2005 homes in the state of Washington are required to have AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) installed to protect all 15 and 20 amp, 120v outlet in the bedrooms.

AFCIs detect dangerous electrical conditions and shut the circuit off before an electrical fire has a chance to ignite.

Arcing is the unintended current flowing through an unplanned path. This can be from a screw or staple in the wire, poor wiring splice or from physical damage.

When wires start to arc they create very high intensity heat at the point of the arc that may easily ignite surrounding material, such as insulation or wood framing. The temperatures of these arcs have been shown to exceed 10,000 degrees.

So testing these devices needs to be performed. This does add some time to the home inspection process due to the need to verify that the outlets in the bedroom are being protected. I have found bedrooms not AFCI protected on home inspections that should be.

Here is a short video I put together from a recent home inspection.

As you can see in this video the AFCI breaker is not function as intended and needs to be replaced.

Smoke alarms, egress windows and other such safety devices are there in the event of a fire. AFCI breakers are there to stop a fire from happening.

AFCIs should be tested once a month to make sure they are working properly. The test button is located on the front of the device. Remember if the device does not trip when tested, the AFCI is defective and needs to be replaced.
 

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

Alexander Graham Bell

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…      

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