Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI)
| Home electrical fires Happen about 70,000 times a year. A major part of these fires can be blamed to arc faults. An arc fault is the flow of electrical curent over an unintended path. These arcs can go well over temperatures of 10,000° F and easily ignite combustible materials in the residence. Arc fault circuit breakers are circuit breakers that protect your house by sensing dangerous arcs and safely de-energizing the circuit. Arc faults arise from a number of situations, including:• Damaged wires • Receptacle leakage • Neutral leads pinched to grounded metal box |
• Worn electrical insulation
• Loose electrical connections
• Shorted wires
• Wires or cords in contact with vibrating metal
• Overheated or stressed electrical cords and wires
• Misapplied/damaged appliances
Branch/Feeder AFCI
A Branch/Feeder AFCI has the ability to detect and neutralize a parallel arc 
fault, which is the unintentional flow of electricity between two separate wires. There are three types of parallel arc faults: line-to-line, line-to-ground, and line-to-neutral. The Branch/Feeder AFCI is permitted by the 1999-2005 NEC® Code.
Combination AFCI
GE’s Combination AFCI delivers 5 kinds of protection:
| 1. Parallel protection – Just like its Branch/Feeder counterpart, Combination AFCI can detect and neutralize parallel arc faults 2. Series Protection – A series arc fault is the unintended flow of electricity over a gap within a single wire. These arc faults were not detectable until advanced technology allowed the development of the Combination AFCI breaker. 3. Ground protection – Arcing between a single conductor and a ground line 4. Overload protection 5. Short circuit protection |
The Combination AFCI represents advancement in technology and home protection. The 2008 NEC® Code mandates that all dwelling areas in the home have Combination AFCI protection:
Combination AFCI circuit breakers provide an added dimension of safety for homeowners by sensing and responding to both parallel and series arcing incidents. Series arcing is often associated with damaged devices or cord sets. A series arc is an arcing incident across a break in a conductor. A common example is a cut across one of the two wires in a lamp cord, with a dangerous arc forming in the gap. Combination AFCI circuit breakers detect the arcing condition and turn off the circuit, thus providing the enhanced protection.
• Bedroom
• Living room
• Dining room
• Sun room
• Hallway
• Closet
• Finished basement
• Rec room
