Arc Fault Issue with an Eaton Panel, BR Series

Breakers were tripping in the garage entry and front porch and other areas in a 7-year-old home due to an old vacuum cleaner that drew 10 amps.

[MrKen]

I had a similar problem after installing afci in the living room tripping when porch light was turned on. Found it was a pierced jacket in a wire running to lamp post. The jacket had been cut over 20 years ago and never knew it.

[Protek]

Universal AC motors have commutator and brushes which can cause AFCI trip. "Arch fault" is detected with certain breakers.

[heroknaderi]

I guess Eaton needs to fix a flaw in their AFCI Breakers😉👍 I appreciate your video.

[berbice]

I have a similar problem with my newly installed Eaton panel/BR AFCI breakers. My Lifestyle treadmill trips the circuit breaker every time I turned it on. It worked well before the panel upgrades. After some research on this type of breaker, I suspect the relay in the treadmill is causing the breaker to trip. When the relay contacts are in the process of closing to power up the treadmill, the inrush current (instantaneous current for a very short time) could potentially be about seven times higher than the normal running load current. I am currently using an extension cord on another circuit in order to use the treadmill.

[taylorsutherland]

Another classic example of AFCI that thinks there is a problem when there isn't one.

[fxdb]

Had the same issue with Square D QO series, turn the lights on would trip.
Co worker who was a contractor sez he seen the same thing.

[ubrayj]

I guess the good news is that potential arc fault safety hazards are more apparent, but the nuisance factor and cost involved due to lack of diagnostic tools for and in these breakers makes you scratch your head. If it is all about money, you would think tool manufacturers would be all over this and schools would go deep on wave form analysis. I feel like an oscilloscope and memory device is going to be a must have on any afci breaker trouble shoot going forward.

[averyalexander]

Something else interesting I noticed about Eaton's BR AFCI breakers is that they have no ground fault protection whatsoever, they won't trip even with a 10 amp load on the hot side returning directly to the panel's neutral bar with nothing connected to the breaker's neutral terminal. Weird, I thought all AFCI breakers had some sort of weak ground fault protection. I wonder if Eaton AFCI's are designed to tolerate a current imbalance to prevent nuisance tripping.

[RussAdamsProject]

Why are we arc faulting garages and laundry rooms?

[p]

I thought Arc Fault breakers were generally used for bedrooms?

[STXVIEC]

they should have put the garage on a 20A breaker & that outlet in the hallway on a separate 15A breaker... for a house that new its shocking that they didn't

[Joskemom]

I know they are safer, I have seen a 6 inch 'blow torch' constant arc that did not trip the regular ckt brker after I pulled out the plug from a socket that a painter

[johnstancliff]

I have a square d homeline subpanel and had a simerlar problem with a tandem breaker constantly tripping on a inductive load... wound up moving the circuit to a different line... problem, weak breaker... weird...

[bobsjers]

Here is something odd: The worklights are plugged into socket adapters in a plain socket. Old style ballasts need a ground, but it has none. Maybe not an arc fault problem, but definitely a problem.

[wizardz]

in my area i always go with square d or siemens than cutler hammer. im a creature of habit always used square d since i was a pre teen never had a failure yet or at least the pple i did work for have moved on

[cranky_yankee]

Eaton arc fault breaker’s are horrible. I think they are the new Federal Pacific.

[POPPASHANGO]

I get why afci's are good.... But with the internet is riddled with "nuisance" tripping Doesn't that say they need to be improved?

[darrelcurry]

Eaton breakers suck! My house isn't even 5 years old and I've had to replace several. After the 2nd went out, I decided I'm not spending $55 each time one fails and started replacing them with a regular eaton breaker as they failed. I'm about to replace my 6th or 7th arc fault tomorrow with a new regular. I've had no issues with the regular ones. I did replace one that operates some of the outlets and had to install a gfi outlet, but still cheaper than these damn things. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR BUILDER TO INSTALL THIS BRAND.

[WeatherNut]

Great filming footage and info. Thanks for the upload!

Would love to see a video on you showing amp draws from different circuits. Sounds simple but sometimes those are great videos. :-)

[sparkysa]

I had the same problem breaker was tripping, I changed it to a new one and didn’t fix the problem, then isolate the circuit then I discharge neutral to graund in case of static build up in the circuit when I se an I phone charger was plug in the same plug that has the problem you know how easy they brake at the end of the cable whit no insulation wires sticking out so I unplugged the charger and fix the problem that was it but just to make sure I trip the breaker 3 or 4 times and it was fixed