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The Arc Fault Detection Device… again.

whjohnson
Some humourous but valid observations on AFDDs, the state of the industry, the wiring regs and future amendment requirements.

He also attempts to build a AFFD tester which electrically tests rather than relying upon the mechanical action of the test button on the device itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ElFaKc_e8

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    I always find it easiest to relate to concrete experiences.


    I had an arc fault in my lathe. It would always switch on, but sometimes it died after a few revolutions. Sometimes I thought that I could hear a wee bit of sizzling. The problem was that when the voltage dropped, the relay and contractor also cut out so it was difficult to locate the point of trouble. After quite a bit of persistence, I found a slightly singed loose connection block. I tightened it up and job's a good 'un.


    What I wonder is whether it would have tripped an AFDD. If an AFDD had tripped every time that I fired up the lathe, the cause would have been obvious to the extent that the machine was a problem, but it wouldn't have helped me locate it within the machine.


    So as WHJ says, finding a loose connection somewhere under the floorboards is going to be a nightmare. Mind you, with new builds and maintenance-free JBs, it shouldn't be a problem. So in fact perhaps their usefulness lies in detecting loose connections in appliances rather than the fixed wiring.
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  • 0
    I always find it easiest to relate to concrete experiences.


    I had an arc fault in my lathe. It would always switch on, but sometimes it died after a few revolutions. Sometimes I thought that I could hear a wee bit of sizzling. The problem was that when the voltage dropped, the relay and contractor also cut out so it was difficult to locate the point of trouble. After quite a bit of persistence, I found a slightly singed loose connection block. I tightened it up and job's a good 'un.


    What I wonder is whether it would have tripped an AFDD. If an AFDD had tripped every time that I fired up the lathe, the cause would have been obvious to the extent that the machine was a problem, but it wouldn't have helped me locate it within the machine.


    So as WHJ says, finding a loose connection somewhere under the floorboards is going to be a nightmare. Mind you, with new builds and maintenance-free JBs, it shouldn't be a problem. So in fact perhaps their usefulness lies in detecting loose connections in appliances rather than the fixed wiring.
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