Understanding the Benefits of Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs)
The purpose of arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) is to identify potentially fire-causing electrical arcs. They operate by monitoring the current in circuits and immediately cutting power if they detect an arc, thereby preventing fire risks. Adding these to your home not only makes your residence safer but also increases its overall electrical efficiency.
Safeguard Against Sparking
When electrical current jumps over gaps due to a frayed or broken wire, a short circuit or arc fault occurs. Dangerous fires may break out if these sparks land on adjacent flammable objects, such as insulation or wood. The moment an AFCI detects an electrical arc, it cuts power, preventing the spark from ever having the opportunity to ignite a fire. You’ll help safeguard your house from these potentially fatal events by installing AFCIs in every room.
Compliance With Building Code Requirements
Installing AFCIs in your home helps meet modern building code requirements that mandate these devices in specific areas like bedrooms and living spaces. The National Electrical Code has required the implementation of AFCIs in new home construction and major electrical renovations since 2002. If you’re wondering whether your home is in compliance, we can do an inspection. If we find any outdated or missing AFCIs, we can add new ones to ensure compliance.
Reduce Insurance Premiums
Numerous insurance providers for homeowners give discounts to those who install AFCIs. They understand that AFCIs give essential protection against electrical fires, which frequently result in property loss. If you’ve been looking for a way to reduce your insurance premiums, adding AFCIs may help.
Enhanced Safety for Children and Pets
Parents and pet owners need to watch out for extra hazards because children and animals often explore electrical outlets and devices. AFCIs maintain home safety by shutting down circuits during arcing faults to eliminate fire risks. The enhanced protection enables you to rest easy because it reduces danger to your kids and pets.
Detect Hidden Faults in Wiring
Conventional circuit breakers only trip when they detect an overload or a short. In contrast, AFCIs have cutting-edge technology to find even the most insidious wiring problems in your house, like frayed wires, deteriorated insulation and loose connections. All of these are examples of defects that may not be immediately apparent. However, with AFCIs, you can catch these issues early before they cause major damage and fire hazards.
Extra Protection for Older Homes
Older houses tend to have electrical systems that operate inefficiently and lack the necessary design to support today’s electrical demands. The outdated electrical wiring presents another possible cause of electrical arcing. AFCIs can identify dangerous electrical issues that develop over time to better protect older homes. But what exactly is an older home? Generally, this applies to any home built before the 1970s. These homes frequently lack modern safety features, making them more vulnerable to electrical hazards. However, even if your home was built after 1970, this doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t have outdated wiring. We can perform an inspection to see whether you need a full wiring upgrade to make the home extra safe.
Prevent Appliance Damage From Power Surges
When a circuit experiences a sudden arc, it generates a power surge that can destroy any appliances or electronics connected to the circuit. AFCIs offer protection for electronic devices by disconnecting circuits upon detecting arcs. This shields expensive appliances, such as refrigerators and computers, from surge damage. We highly recommend adding AFCIs to all bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and home offices to keep all of your electronics fully protected.
Other Ways to Make Your Home’s Electrical System Safer
AFCIs help improve electrical safety, but additional safety measures do exist. Regular inspections combined with system updates are essential to maintain proper functioning of your electrical system. The following upgrades will offer additional protection for your home’s electrical setup when combined with AFCIs.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) function as a distinct category of electrical safety equipment. These devices protect against electrical dangers but focus mainly on preventing shock hazards instead of fire risks. A GFCI identifies a current discrepancy between the hot and neutral wires, which reveals that electricity is passing through human tissue. The GFCI then shuts off the power supply immediately once it detects a difference in current. Like AFCIs, we recommend adding GFCIs to all outlets in a home. This protects your whole house against electrical arcs that cause fires and ground faults that cause shocks.
Upgrade Your Circuit Breaker Panel
An upgraded circuit breaker panel ensures that your home’s electrical system operates safely and efficiently. The capacity of older electrical panels may be insufficient for current demands, which can cause overloading and short circuits. Modern circuit breaker panels include features that enable the use of both AFCIs and GFCIs for enhanced protection.
Tamper-Resistant Outlets
Installing tamper-resistant outlets helps maintain electrical safety standards. It also makes a house much safer for small children. These outlets have built-in shutters that make it impossible to insert foreign objects. When tamper-resistant outlets remain unplugged, they automatically close the access point to prevent contact with electrical current. If you don’t want to install tamper-resistant outlets throughout the house, you should at least place them in child-accessible locations. For example, maybe you don’t want to install them in the kitchen along the counterspace. In doing so, you can easily plug in devices without having to mess with the shutter. This is okay because small children can’t usually reach these outlets. However, they can reach outlets built into lower walls or floors, so you should install tamper-resistant ones in these locations.
Install Whole-House Surge Protection
Whole-house surge protection is a good solution for homeowners who wish to safeguard their electrical systems against lightning. Sensitive appliances, along with computers and home entertainment systems, can suffer major damage from power surges. A whole-house surge protector installed at the main service panel safeguards all home appliances and devices by defending against power spikes. When you combine this protective layer with AFCIs, your home becomes more resilient to electrical problems.
Schedule Regular Electrical Maintenance
You should have us come to your home to inspect the electrical system once a year. We will look for loose wires, faulty connections and outdated components. All of these issues make the electrical system less efficient, meaning it uses more energy. As a result, you’ll notice higher electric bills and more frequent repairs if you don’t fix them. We can address each problem with long-lasting solutions that keep the home safe and fully functional. Another step we will take to help the electrical system perform better entails cleaning circuit breakers.
Brennan Electric specializes in many types of electrical services, including hot tub wiring, RV plugins, EV chargers, surge protection and more. We can also install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your house to make it safer. Call us today to schedule electrical repair or an appointment to get AFCIs installed in your house in Seattle, WA.
