Solved! Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters vs. Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters

A home’s electrical system is prone to wear and tear. Regular testing and evaluation of receptacles, switches, and breakers can prevent dangerous situations down the road.

GFCI与AFCI.

有两种电气升级应该安装，以保护您的家庭：接地故障电路中断器（GFCI）和电弧故障电路中断器（AFCIS）。GFCIS通过接地故障或漏电引起的电击防止电击。这些设备在电路中监视电流并在检测到电源峰值或电源损耗时中断或停止电源流量。在新建筑中，浴室，厨房和车库，室外出口和爬行空间或未完成的地下室需要GFCI容器。

“任何地方都有机会与水或地面接触，应该有一个GFCI，”Brett Brenner（讲）Electrical Safety Foundation International(ESFI). “It’s estimated that GFCIs accounted for roughly a 70 percent reduction in electrocutions,” he says. GFCIs are also available as circuit breakers installed in the panel, giving ground fault protection to designated circuits in the home.

Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) protect a home against electrical fires. ACFIs protect against fire-causing arcing much like GFCI’s protect against stray current. When an arc is detected, power to the circuit is interrupted. Arcing can be caused by any number of factors, including damaged or worn wires, incorrect wiring, and loose or wet connections. Newer AFCIs are able to distinguish between dangerous arc faults and normal arcing caused byfluorescent lightingand some dimmers and switches.

“AFCI’s give great fire protection to homes with older wiring,” says Mike Holt, licensed electrician, electrical inspector, instructor, and founder of迈克霍尔特企业, providers of educational resources to those in the electrical profession and related fields. Currently, the National Electric Code requires AFCI breakers for circuits providing power to bedrooms, living rooms, family rooms, and other common rooms in new construction. The cost for an AFCI breaker varies by manufacturer, but consumers can expect to pay around $30 to $35 apiece.

Some old homes were designed to run off less power than the modern home. Most states have a 100 amp minimum requirement. Homes running under that service could consider an upgrade to bring them to between 100 and 200 amps, which could run upwards of $2,000. Homeowners should evaluate their power demands first. “A homeowner can have an electrician test the system with an amp meter while all the big loads are on,” says Holt. “If the draw is over 75-80 percent of the service size, you might consider an upgrade. Otherwise you should be fine.”

Routine Maintenance and Testing

GFCIS和AFCIS都配有测试开关，每30天都应该测试。测试GFCI是简单的：按插座上的“重置”按钮。将灯插入出口并打开它。光应该打开。按“测试”按钮。应弹出“重置”按钮，灯应关闭。再次按下“重置”按钮;灯应该重新打开。如果测试不像这样工作，则插座有缺陷，应由专业检查。

Homeowners should also make routine checks of their receptacles and switches. Loose receptacles and switches, as well as burn marks around outlets and receptacles, should be addressed immediately. Prompt repairs are also necessary if a receptacle is glowing or hot to the touch, or if a homeowner feels a tingle or similar sensation when touching something metal inside or outside the home.

Appliance cords, extension cords, and rarely used lights, like Christmas or patio lights,should also be inspected. “If a cord is worn, or the ground is broken, throw the cord away,” insists Holt.

一个潜在的接线问题的一个指示器是如果某些灯暗淡或间歇地亮或亮，并且没有明显的原因。“照明闪烁或不正确行事是一个标志，”Holt说。当大负载刚刚开始时，或者当使用骑自行车的设备（例如，熨斗）时，照明会瞬间减少亮度。如果这不是原因，房主应该寻求专业的帮助。

Avoid Electrical Hazards

延长线和电涌保护器是两个常用的电气设备。延长线仅供临时使用，并且必须按额定使用。Holt采取更保守的方法，警告“不应在家中使用延长线”。如果您需要延伸线，您将更好地安装另一个插座。此外，不应使用延长线来延长浪涌保护器的范围，电涌保护器不应彼此连接或过载。

The use and installation of generators has become a hot topic in the electrical community. Improper installation of a generator can lead to serious dangers in the home, to neighbors, and to utility workers addressing an outage. “Too many people are plugging their generators right into the panel without a transfer switch,” says Brenner. This can result in dangerous surges to houses on the grid, or fatal injury to workers restoring power.

Before doing any digging outside the home, homeowners should call “811.” This free national number connects the homeowner to professionals who will come to the home and mark the buried utility lines, preventing potentially fatal hazards.

Undertaking a project involving the home’s electrical system should not be taken lightly, and homeowners should hire a licensed electrician to handle maintenance or upgrades. “Working on the electrical system is a lot more dangerous than it appears,” Holt says. “Misconnecting one wire can result in death. It’s just not worth the risk.”