Arc fault circuit breakers are a topic that has been covered before. However, reviewing it is a great way to reacquaint yourself with how important they are. What do they do? How do they help your home or business? Those questions and more will be answered here by Tim Kyle Electric, a Frederick County MD electrician.
What is an Arc Fault?
An arc fault in simple terms is when there is an unplanned arcing in a circuit. This can lead to extreme heat and damage wiring or the surrounding materials such as wood or insulation. Left unaddressed, this creates a fire hazard for your home.
Arc faults can occur at any point in the electrical system: the wall, the cord to the device or appliance, or damaged cords (such as those that have been shut in doors or frayed somehow). They can happen when you drive a nail into a wall to hang a picture and the nail damages the wiring within wall, or when the electrical wire for a device gets caught on a piece of furniture and frays.
What are Arc Fault Circuit Breakers?
An arc fault circuit breaker (AFCI) works to help keep the circuits from being the flash point in home fires by detecting dangerous arcs early and interrupting the flow of electricity. When a new appliance is introduced after the AFCI has been installed, it will use technology to determine the normal arcing for that particular circuit. If it is abnormal, the circuit will be interrupted so prevent damage. AFCIs work to reduce the risk of fire to your home.
AFCI outlets are not the same as ground-fault-circuit-interrupter outlets. AFCI provides arc interruption, whereas GFCI provides ground circuit interruption. The two can be used in conjunction on the same circuit to provide maximum protection.
Frederick County MD Electrician
If you want arc fault circuit breakers installed in your home, and you are looking for a Frederick County MD electrician, call the professionals at Tim Kyle Electric for an estimate today.