Why do I want Arc Fault Circuit Protection AFCI?
What does an AFCI do and why would I want one?
One of the benefits of having a newer electrical system is that you have fire and shock prevention built into your Olympia Wa, Tumwater Wa, or Lacey Wa homes electrical system. If you have an older electrical system before 2000 you may not have this protection. AFCI is an easy protection to add to prevent fires and is highly recommended by the NFPA. AFCI breakers and or outlets are made to stop a spark from becoming a fire.
When these breakers or plugs sense a spark they turn the power off immediately. If you have these plugs or breakers and you are using an older device like a blow dryer, drill, smoker, or vacuum that has a motor it may trip the breaker because as the brushes in the motor turn they create sparks and these breakers are sensitive enough to sense that and turn off. AFCI breakers/plugs may also trip if all you do is unplug a device that is still turned on.
Remember the electricity is always there even though you can't see or sense it and when you plug in or out you are literally jumping into the river of electricity and the splash is like the arc. The AFCI stops the splash and even amazingly the river on that one circuit.
If you live in an older home and do not have these breakers you can add them to your circuits at the panel and do a circuit repair. You can upgrade and get and electrical panel replacement, and if your home is really old you can do a rewire.
If your home in Olympia, Lacey or Tumwater Wa was built in the 1960-1970's you will probably have aluminum wiring instead of copper. Why is this important? Aluminum wire expands and contracts more than copper so as you use an outlet the wires connecting to that outlet as well as all the wires connected to that circuit are expanding and contracting and all the connections are becoming looser. Electricity needs to travel from wire to wire and if a space comes between two pieces of wire it now has to arc (spark) or jump across that space to the other wire in order to make contact and have electricity continue to flow. This is a fire hazard as a spark in the wall you don't see is still a spark and can cause a fire. You will need to do a circuit repair
Fire prevention is a real life saving measure and doing an electrical panel replacement or upgrading circuits in your Olympia, Lacey, or Tumwater Wa home to AFCI will prevent a fire and potentially save a life. As a residential electrician, we at Shocking Difference would love to be your local Olympia, Lacey, or Tumwater Wa electrician.
