Odd Breaker Situation...
Changing out the cheapy light fixtures that came with the house, I turn the switch off, remove the old fixture, accidentally bump common (white) against frame (green) and breaker popped.
Measure white with DMM... AC-level is a few hundred mV (noise?).
Measure black with DMM... AC-level is even smaller.
Likewise black to white.
Touch black to green... nothing.
Touch white to green... pop.
Do these new breakers have the equivalent of GFCI built-in? ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson | mens |
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I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Arc-fault breakers? Switch in the wrong side?
Neutral and ground should be bonded at the service panel. Sounds like something is wired wrong.
It is also legal to use a white wire but mark it with black tape to use it as 'LINE' or HOT.
CHeers
but if you are at the of a wire with other loads you will see a voltage drop
-Lasse
I understand the 'end' of the wire, but the neutral doesnt go back to the breaker.
Cheers
It's an AFCI, from Eaton FAQ:
AFCI and Ground Fault Protection There continues to be confusion as to the term "Combination" Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter. "Combination" does not mean there is both arc fault and Class A ground fault protection in the device. Combination refers to parallel as well as low current (series) arc detection. The Branch-Feeder and the Combination Type Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters both have equipment level ground fault circuit protection (30mA), not the Class A type "people protection" ground fault protection (5mA). Therefore, during the installation of an AFCI, precautions should be taken to ensure wiring anomalies that would normally cause GFI's to trip (such as grounded neutrals and shared neutrals) should be avoided.
Yes, you most likely have GFCI breakers.
joining ground and N at that location should cause a trip, and it seems it's working.. that should work even if the Black wire is dead, due to your light switch being off because the other wires N are still connected to the system. Appliances are suppose to balance the N line or use a transformer, this method will detect a N hitting ground directly when it's not suppose at the user end.
The breaker still has both L1 and L2 alive in it so when N hits ground you have a imbalance. Sounds like it's working fine.
Jamie
NEC has mandated AFCI since 2008. Isn't Duck Dynasty on?
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