I am waiting for a new house to be finished within the month. I have a bunch of circuits in the house that have an AFCI circuit breakers. I have plenty of experience with GFCIs, but was wondering if the Klien AFCI/GFCI tester was worth the purchase for a homeowner with new wiring? If so, how often, should I test these circuits? Monthly, yearly or some other interval?
This is the least expensive device for testing AFCI that I have come across, with others that test the AFCI also test for a lot more conditions in the circuit, with a price of at least $200. I don’t think I’ll be using something like that to be worth the investment.
Don’t mind spending the $40 (or less thanks to Stuart’s secret code) on something like this. I can pass along the two GFCI outlet testers that I have to my nephews.
Thanks.
honestly I don’t even own a tester. for either. I check the push buttons onthe outlets on occasion and I flip over my circuit breaker s once a year. (odd I know)
So I don’t know I’d spring for a tester but you know it’s be nice to have one.
Now and this is odd too but I perscribe to the replaced the GFCI outlet every 4 years theory. again odd I know - but they aren’t much and I hae fewer issues
The only issues I’ve had in thepast have been cases where the GFCI trips too easily and so it works but is way to sensitive.
I see potential for similar issues for AFCI and I have AFI breakers in my house on some circuts (why not all I’m not sure).
So maybe you don’t need it but you know having the tester might help cut down on routine replacements.
OH on the GFCI outlet replacements - when my outdoor outlets act funny I replace the GFCI in the garage - all my outdoor outlets are tied to the same GFCI circult.
Eventually I plan to re-wire the garage so there are other outlets that aren’t on that circuit.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but every GFCI and AFCI device I’ve ever seen has a test button on it. The GFCI outlets common in bathrooms and kitchens have the test button right on the outlet, the AFCI breakers have it on the breaker.
The house has all the test/reset buttons for both the GFCIs and AFCIs on the breakers, except the GFCI outlets in the bathrooms and outside have the buttons on the outlets. All of the other outlets including the kitchen are regular outlets. This is my first exposure with AFCIs and was wondering how often they need to be tested. The Klien tester is the only one I found that would be in my budget.
I don’t know if there is any one “gospel” testing schedule; I’d imagine you could just check them as often as makes sense to you. The last three GFCI/AFCI devices I installed specified 3, 6, and 12 months respectively as suggested testing intervals in the paperwork which came with them so I don’t think there’s any standard to it.
I don’t think there’s any point in buying a tester if all your devices have test buttons.
Thanks. All of the outlets, with a few GFCI exceptions are standard outlets. I would think the AFCI protected circuits would have a test button on the breaker, but I would think that the better test would be to test them from the outlet with some type of tester.
hold on the test buttons are there to test the shut off break point still shuts off. It doesn’t actually test the thresholds of the ground fault or arc fault functions.
IE if there is 15 volts "leaking though - does it ground fault out and shut down. a GFCI tester is supposed to test if it’s actually breaking contract at the ground fault threshold or before. supposedly the circuits wear out and this is one reason if you have alot of faults you replace the receptical.
Now I’ve not worked much with Arc Fault interrupter but I assume the same type of thing happens here. the tester in this case actually tests the thresholds of cut off not just if the circuit pops.
A GFCI device will always be safe because over time it will just shut down with any voltage ripple. Hence why some devices will stop working right because it “always tripps” that circuit. Trade out the receptacle and magically devices start working as normal again. As far as I know this is what the Klein tester is for.