When we bought and completely remodeled our current home 5-years ago, I
replaced the antiquated 100A breaker panel (company out of business and
replacement parts not available) with a 200A Square D 2-panel system and even
included a Sun Trek installed roof-top solar power system. In all that time,
I've not had a single problem relating to RFI or any of the other problems
cited in the string on this topic. ... and yes, before we had the solar system
installed I verified in two other locations they had done that the inverters
they used did NOT produce any RFI on any ham band from 160m through 70cm.
73,
Steve - N1BKB
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Tope <W4EF@dellroy.com>
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Sent: Sun, Mar 19, 2023 11:54 am
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Arcfault Breakers
Hey Shane,
As it happens, I've decided to stop living dangerously and am having the
very old Zinsco panel in my house replaced. The electrician I have been
talking to wants to use a Square-D panel for the replacement because it
is more roomy than other panels. Eaton is the only company I've heard of
who has an RF robust AFCI.
Do you know if Eaton's Square-D compatible AFCIs have been redesigned to
be RF compatible, or is it just the Eaton AFCIs made for Eaton panels
that are RF compatible?
I am trying to decide whether I should require the electrician to use an
Eaton panel instead of Square-D.
Thanks & 73,
Mike W4EF..............
On 3/19/2023 6:26 AM, Shane Youhouse wrote:
> Electrician here. Dealt with AFCI and GFCI issues in my own house.
>
> 1. It's not marketing BS to require your brand of breakers in your brand
> of panel. That's just stupid. You really want manufacturer A to go
> through every single breaker design, current rating, single, split and poly
> phaser, to ensure that they don't make got spits in the buss bar, etc? I
> didn't think so.
>
> Hint, using the wrong brand breaker in a panel WILL increase fire hazard
> due to hot spots where the breaker comes into contact with the backplane.
> Nice replaced panels in home fires where this happened. Anyone telling you
> different is a blowhard.
>
> The only brand breaker rated and designed for multiple brand usage in
> different panels is Eaton. They actually went to far as to attain UL
> approval for other brands of panels and their breakers.
>
> 2. Siemens pretty much has owned every technology out there at one time or
> another. That doesn't snt make them universal in the eyes of NEC.
>
> 3. AFCI breakers. Yes, they do stop fires. A simple Google search will
> show who the blowhard spouting off at the mouth are. For instance, the CPSC
> here in the USA has one study that shows almost 50 percent of fires in
> residences can be eliminated with AFCI.
>
> Early ones sucked!!! I ended up yanking all of them out of my house. That
> was Square D branded breakers. Required when the home was torn down to
> foundation on remodel.
>
> Eventually I found breakers, as others have mentuon d, that fixes the
> issue.
>
> Thank GOD Eaton had them certified with UL for Square D panels!
>
> After replacement, no more issues.
>
> 4. I used homebrew open wire line at my station. Johnson flashbox fed,
> legal limit. I installed every single GFCI I could find, one by on, behind
> the open wire line, until I found one that didn't trip. It was a leviton
> branded one. I then used them throughout the garage / shop and everywhere
> code needed in the house.
>
> Hope this helps. Yes, as the homeowner you can yank out all those pesky
> AFCI breakers after inspection.
>
> And then, 10 years later if there is a fire, and an inspection on record
> that would indicate AFCI where installed and when the fire happened they
> where not.....
>
>
> You're screwed.
>
> Much better to actually be safe, do the homework and find units that work
> in rf environments and not do any half assed BS because a blowhard on the
> internet flapped his arms around about nanny states and other jibberish.
> Seriously. 80 years ago we had knob and tube wiring, fuss in the neutral
> line, etc. I've even run across wiring like that, in use, in Bakersfield
> in the last 10 years! Must be safe, huh?
>
> --Shane
> WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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