Still not convinced about AFCI breakers on older homes after that job in Cleveland last month

I had to swap out a panel in a 1950s house and the homeowner insisted on all AFCI breakers per code. Three of them kept tripping for no reason even after checking every circuit. Has anyone else found these breakers cause more headaches than they prevent on old wiring?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkera221mo ago

Had the same problem on a 1960s ranch last month. Grounded outlets everywhere but the AFCI's still popped when you plugged in a vacuum. Ended up swapping half of them back to standard breakers and the homeowner was fine with it after I explained the nuisance tripping. Older wiring just doesn't play nice with all that sensitivity.

king.wyatt1mo ago

Did you try the less sensitive AFCIs or just go straight to swapping them out?

william_henderson1mo ago

Went into a 1920s house last winter where the owner swore up and down the AFCI on the bedroom circuit was haunted, kept tripping at 3 AM every night. Took me three visits to figure out the old cloth wiring was grounding out on a loose nail plate in the wall, not the breaker itself. @parkera22 nailed it though, sometimes you just gotta put the standard ones back in and explain the reality of old wiring to the homeowner.