Every year over 40,000 fires are caused by home electrical wiring. These fires result in more than 350 deaths and over 1400 injuries each year. One of the major causes of these fires is arcing faults. In recent years builders have been required to install Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) breakers in newly constructed properties. But if your home is more than a few years old it may be vulnerable to arcing faults. Remodeling or updating your home to include these devices can reduce the risk of expensive or deadly electrical fires.
Arcing faults occur in damaged or deteriorated wires and cords. Damage occurs from many normal circumstances as well as mistreatment of wires. Natural aging and exposure to heat vents and sunlight can speed up deterioration. Wire insulation can be punctured while hanging pictures or by cable staples. Cords can get caught in doors and under furniture. Poorly installed outlets and switches as well as furniture being pushed against outlets can also cause arcing faults. Faulty arcing generates high temperatures that can ignite nearby home materials like wood, paper, and carpets.
The Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is an electrical device designed to protect homes from fires caused by these arcing faults. Conventional circuit breakers only respond to overloads and short circuits; so they do not protect against arcing faults. The AFCI circuitry continuously monitors current flow. Once an unwanted arcing condition is detected, the AFCI de-energizes the circuit to reduce the risk of fire.
Some of the new circuit breakers include AFCIs in their design. They combine traditional overload and short-circuit protection with arc fault protection. Other designs also include the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) to reduce the risk of harm even further. The GFCI protects people from severe or fatal electric shocks. Ground faults occur when electrical current leaks from a circuit. If a person’s body provides a path to ground for this leakage, the person could be injured, burned, severely shocked, or electrocuted.
The National Electrical Code requires GFCI protection for certain electrical receptacles. AFCI protection on most circuits in the home must be protected in 2010. A combination AFCI and GFCI can be used to satisfy the NEC requirement for protection if it is specifically marked as a combination device.
Protect your home from the risk of fire! Update your home with AFCI and GFCI protection. For more information about AFCI installation and requirements review the AFCI Fact Sheet
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