Where Are AFCI Breakers Located?
AFCI protection devices are not found in wall receptacles, but are integrated into your house’s electrical service panel in the form of special circuit breakers. Conventional circuit breakers respond to overloads and short circuits, but they do not protect against arcing conditions that produce erratic current. Like circuit breakers, AFCIs protect against short circuits and overloads, but additionally protect against arcs by electronically identifying the unique current and voltage characteristics of an arc fault and de-energize the circuit when arc faults occur. As with the GFCI outlets, the AFCI breakers in the electric panel also should be tested monthly to ensure that they are working properly.
