Quote:
Originally Posted by oil pan 4
...I couldn't understand why someone would rip out several hundred dollars worth of new, perfectly good GFI receptacles and toss them. Now I see why.
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oil pan,
Good information here.
I think that 'Arc Fault' sensing receptacles and breaker box modules are being implemented in new construction now.
If I understand it correctly, Arc Fault units can sense an arcing condition in a line and cut power to that circuit when arcing occurs. This makes very good sense to me, because arcing generates tremendous heat, and is an ignition source.
I am not an expert on Electricity Code, at all. What I am relaying is scuttlebutt that I have heard from some friends who spend a lot more time with Code Books than I do.
So, it might be that the dumped GFI units were due to code upgrades.
I do know that under proper conditions, GFI units work very well. When I was doing my backyard hole-drilling and loop field installation, I was using a GFI protected circuit. I kept getting false-positives from the GFI, so I switched to another non GFI circuit... and that was when I received the shocking realization that I was working in the rain with ungrounded machinery, and that my equipment was "hot".
So, I do understand the legitimate role that GFIs play.
Best,
-AC