What is an AFCI?
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are electrical safety devices designed to prevent fires caused by dangerous electrical arcs. Arc faults are one of the major causes of the residential electrical fires that occur each year. Use of new AFCI technology could prevent 50 to 75 percent of these fires, saving hundreds of lives, reducing thousands of injuries, and avoiding the $1.6 billion property damage caused by electrical fires annually. Arc faults do not necessarily create a sustained short circuit that causes a traditional circuit breaker to trip or a fuse to blow, but can result in hot spots in wiring that can lead to a fire. AFCIs recognize the unique signature of harmful arcs and shut off the circuit to prevent a fire hazard. Arcs can occur along the circuit in residential electrical systems and at outlets and switches, behind walls. Hidden electrical fires can spread rapidly, delaying detection by smoke alarms, reducing the chances of survival. Conditions that trigger arc faults includ
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are electrical safety devices designed to prevent fires caused by dangerous electrical arcs. Arc faults are one of the major causes of the residential electrical fires that occur each year. Use of new AFCI technology could prevent more than 30,000 home fires annually, saving hundreds of people from dealths and injuries, and avoiding the $750 million in property damage. Arc faults do not necessarily create a sustained short circuit that causes a traditional circuit breaker to trip or a fuse to blow, but can result in hot spots in wiring that can lead to a fire. AFCIs recognize the unique signature of harmful arcs and shut off the circuit to prevent a fire hazard. Arcs can occur along the circuit in residential electrical systems and at outlets and switches, behind walls. Hidden electrical fires can spread rapidly, delaying detection by smoke alarms, reducing the chances of survival. Conditions that trigger arc faults include: • Damaged wires from nails dri
