Arch Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) - ABC'S OF REAL ESTATE (A-Z/A)
Circuit breakers...they cut an electrical current when there is an over load on the line potentially saving property and lives. And then there are Arch Fault Circuit Interrupters (Arch Fault Breakers), that will cut an electrical current when is senses an arch of electricity in a line with greater potential to save property and lives.
What's the difference?
Circuit breakers are the workhorses in most homes today. They protect the wire that they are connected to which is behind a wall and unseen. They will trip if they sense a short that causes masses amounts of electricity to race through the circuit and when they sense a heat build up inside the breaker; in both instances a fire is prevented.
Arch Fault Breakers are used in new construction and are making their way into older homes because of their ability to prevent fires above and beyond the ability of regular circuit breakers. They will trip when an arch of electricity occurs in a line where the protective insulation on a line to the box or a line plugged into an AFCI outlet has broken due to age or from damage from a cord being caught under a piece of furniture, exposure to heat, a wire being punctured from picture hanging, etc., thus preventing a fire.
AFCI's cost more money than regular circuit breakers but are well worth the cost if a fire is prevented. Regular circuit breakers costs around $10, AFCI's may cost $30 or more.
AFCI's have a test button, which needs to be tested monthly to ensure their effectiveness.
For more information on this life saving devise, read the FACT SHEET provide by the U.S. Government.
(Information obtained from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Fact Sheet, "Ask The Builder"/Tim Carter, and Doug Durren)
(Written by Gloria)
