help solve the mystery of the disappearing arc fault breaker!
andrea walheim
4 years ago
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Comments (15)
Ron Natalie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
No Spark Mystery in an old engine.
Comments (13)Disconnect the condenser and coil from the breaker points. With an ohm meter confirm that when the points are open that the meter reads infinity or at least very high resistance (meg ohms)between the engine case and where the coil wire attaches. Then, with the points closed, it should read 0 ohms for a dead short. I've had new points not conduct because they were covered with an invisible oxide film. It took a diamond file to get the oxide off, wet/dry carbide sandpaper wouldn't cut it... Check your condenser with the ohm meter too, from the case to the point where the wire to the points attaches. It may initially read low resistance but should then climb to a high value as it charges. Check the resistance from the coil primary wire to the engine case. It should be very low, perhaps even reading 0 on your meter. There should be a much higher resistance from the secondary (spark plug lead) to the engine case. Coils can be tested for spark with a scooter size 6v battery "dinked" across the primary with the condenser across the primary to absorb the back emf when the battery connection is broken. Careful here since if you get it wrong something along the lines of primitive arc welding will result!...See MoreStumped on GFCI Circuit Breaker
Comments (52)"FYI the gfci doesn't really check ground fault in the sense some people on here think. A gf I actually checks current leak." Do you have a link to some sort of documentation for this voodoo theory? If that were the case, any time one GFCI in your house tripped because of a current leak, they ALL would trip. If the difference between the current leaving and returning THROUGH the current transformer of the GFCI exceeds 5 mA, the solid-state circuitry opens the switching contacts and de-energizes the circuit. http://m.ecmweb.com/content/how-gfcis-work The GFCI measures the DIFFERENCE in current between the hot and neutral that goes THROUGH the current transformer in the breaker. It can not sense a current that does not go through the current transformer. The GFCI may not reset if the main breaker is not turned back on first, or the LINE side neutral wire is not connected to the neutral bar yet, but it won't sense current leakage on a different circuit. If that were the case, how far away will it sense this "other" leakage? 100 feet? Your neighbor's house? The leakage in all the power transmission lines? Try this experiment, take the line wires off your doorbell transformer, and just wrap them around the transformer instead of hooking them up, and tell me if the doorbell still work ;) Or take your fluke and try to test for current without putting the wire INSIDE the current transformer. It is more likely that you just got unlucky with the new breaker being bad after the first one gave out....See MoreAFCI circuit breaker keeps tripping - wiring diagram enclosed!
Comments (13)Hmm, I will look into AFCI requirements in the city. It is my preference to keep the AFCI setup, but that leaves me with two options: 1) Spend $400 bucks on a CutlerHammer 2 pole AFCI (any other suggestions for makes?). 2) Pull a 4 wire electrical cable thru the existing cable's pathway to provide an independent neutral to Outlet 1. There are two 90 degree turns to the service panel which is about 15' away from Outlet 1. It's possible it will be a clean pull without snags...mebbe. By the way, my queries should be referred to as "her" questions. Thanks folks!...See MoreNew house help: bad electrical install, too many things on one breaker
Comments (17)Ditto what Ron said about the situation: What's code here and what's a best practice are two different things. I don't think that the bar should be set at "what's code" in this situation. You will have to push your GC, but the standard here should be "what's serviceable" above and beyond "what's code". If GFCI nuisance tripping is shutting down your office, that may not be a code violation, but it shouldn't fly. Outside outlets have to be protected by a GFCI. Nuisance tripping of an outdoor GFCI is an easily foreseeable issue. Your office outlets should not be down stream of that (best practice). Do as suggested and make each outdoor outlet a GFCI (and don't connect anything on the "Load" side). That way one tripped GFCI doesn't take out all of the outlets AND you know which one caused the problem. Your laser printer can use large amounts of current when it starts printing. Using 8-12 amps isn't uncommon - primarily because of the fuser. Code requires that circuits be designed so that permanently attached loads not exceed 80% of the rated capacity of the circuit. A well designed residential electrical system takes into account likely uses for non-permanently attached loads (things plugged into outlets) and gives plenty of extra capacity (best practice). Things like a hair dryer / curling iron in a bedroom, a space heater in a room with lots of glass, electric lawn mower / hedge trimmers or holiday lights outside are all very easy to anticipate. So is electronics / laser printer / AV gear in an office or spare bedroom. Any one of these loads could put you near 60-80% of a 20 amp circuit all by themselves. I'm an advanced DIY - but when I do residential electrical work all general outlet circuits are 20 amp (code allows 15 amp). Circuits used for outlets are limited to one just one room (Bedroom 1 outlets, Bedroom 2 outlets, Living Room outlets, etc.). Some large rooms get will get more than one circuit. Outlets in a hall may be on a circuit with the nearby room. Outside outlets get at least 2 circuits - again for decor / power tools. These are my general guidelines. Some rooms (Kitchen, bath, for example) the minimum circuits are proscribed by code....See Moreweedmeister
4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agoRon Natalie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agoRon Natalie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agoM
4 years agomtvhike
4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agoRon Natalie
4 years agoandrea walheim
4 years agoDavidR
4 years ago
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