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Arc-fault circuit interrupter

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An arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is a circuit breaker designed to prevent fires by detecting electrical arcs and disconnecting power before the arc starts a fire. Advanced electronics inside an electrical outlet detect sudden bursts of electrical current in milliseconds, long before they would trip a regular over-current circuit breaker or fuse.

Arc-fault circuit interrupters are now required in all bedrooms (where children are likely to be) by the National Electrical Code, a privately-written electrical code adopted by many U.S. municipalities. This new rule, effective since the year 2002, requires arc-fault protection for the entire circuit branch. This is typically accomplished by using a kind of circuit-breaker (defined by UL 1699) in the breaker panel that provides combined arc-fault, ground-fault, and over-current protection. The ground-fault protection is intended to prevent fire from arcs to ground and works at a higher threshold than the GFCI devices protecting against electric shock.

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