Arc-fault circuit interrupter: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter.jpg|thumbnail|This AFCI (the circuit breaker with the yellow label) is an older generation AFCI circuit breaker. The current (as of 2013) devices are referred to as "combination type."]]

An '''arc-fault circuit interrupter''' ('''AFCI''') also known as anor '''arc-fault detection device''' ('''AFDD''')<ref>{{cite web |title=Do you know an Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD) can prevent from an electrical fire? |url=https://blog.schneider-electric.com/power-management-metering-monitoring-power-quality/2013/07/03/do-you-know-an-arc-fault-detection-device-afdd-can-prevent-from-an-electrical-fire/ |publisher=Schneider Electric}}</ref> is a [[circuit breaker]] that breaks the circuit when it detects the [[electric arcs]] that are a signature of loose connections in home wiring. Loose connections, which can develop over time, can sometimes become hot enough to ignite house fires. An AFCI selectively distinguishes between a harmless arc (incidental to normal operation of switches, plugs, and brushed motors), and a potentially dangerous arc (that can occur, for example, in a lamp cord which has a broken conductor).

AFCI breakers have been required for circuits feeding [[electrical outlet]]s in residential bedrooms by the electrical codes of [[Canada]] and the [[United States]] since the beginning of the 21st century; the U.S. ''[[National Electrical Code]]'' has required them to protect most residential outlets since 2014,<ref>2014 NEC(210.12)</ref> and the ''[[Canadian Electrical Code]]'' has since 2015.<ref>{{cite book |date=2015 |title=C22.1-15—Canadian Electrical Code, Part I: Safety Standard for Electrical Installations |publisher=Canadian Standards Association |edition=23rd |isbn=978-1-77139-718-6 |page=Rules 24–724(f) & (g) |no-pp=y}}</ref> In parts of the world using 230 V, where the higher voltage implies lower currents, specifically Western Europe and the UK, adoption is slower, and their use is optional, except in high risk cases.