Thread: New issue with AFCI breakers tripping

We installed new ceiling fans 3 months ago. Sometime in the past 2 days the AFCI breaker started tripping when any of the switches were turned on. If all switches are off the breaker stays on. turn any of them on and it pops. I tested each of the 5 lights, each trips the breaker.

its the breaker bad?

Could be:

-one of the new fans
-the wiring for the circuits(s)
-an actual arc fault somewhere
-bad/sensitive AFCI breaker

Time to call a qualified electrician.

Dom.

Sounds like you need to check the wiring between the switches and the fans. It does not sound like the breaker since everything works until you change one of the switched.

Not sure of your skill level, but if it were me I would put a new breaker in, or swap wires into a different AFCI breaker it you have more than one in your panel. If the same thing happens, you've got a short in the wire somewhere.

I will try the breaker tomomrrow.

Its just bothersome that it worked for so long without issue. I hope its just the breaker

You said it worked fine until the new wiring was installed and now you think the problem is the breaker?

No I said its worked for months without issue then just stopped. Nothing had been changed in the time it was working for months and the time it stopped.

Originally Posted by Jim Port

You said it worked fine until the new wiring was installed and now you think the problem is the breaker?

Originally Posted by Eric S

No I said its worked for months without issue then just stopped. Nothing had been changed in the time it was working for months and the time it stopped.

What you have is more likely a broken wire connection. It is very easy to score solid copper wire when stripping it with standard wire strippers. Once it is scored it breaks very easily, sometimes long after the wire has been fastened. It is also very easy to break a wire when tightening a wire nut.

Build houses as well as home inspections. House that we finished last February, One circuit kept setting off AFCI. After much trouble shooting, we narrowed it down to one fixture. After checking wires, connections and everything else, electrician for the hell of it changed light bulb. No problems after that. Expensive bad bulb.

Don't rule out anything when you are trouble shooting.

Originally Posted by Eric Gulotta

we narrowed it down to one fixture. After checking wires, connections and everything else, electrician for the hell of it changed light bulb. No problems after that. Expensive bad bulb.

Wow, good to know
Could have been the bulb was not screwed in tight.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

.........Could have been the bulb was not screwed in tight.

I've known some people like that!