In Out article titled “Why GE AFCI Breakers are Ahead of the Curve” We explored the reasons why GE THQL Arc Faults were superior to all other manufacturers’ offerings.  Today we recognize Siemen’s unique offerings which put them ahead of the curve. The first feature that Siemens’ new breakers offer is the same advantage GE has with its electronic trip unit.  You no longer need to land the neutral on the breaker.  This is all fine and good, there is one major caveat to these breakers which set them behind the GE Arc faults in terms of compatibility: The tandem and single pole Siemens are not “Slash Rated” (read on label as 120/240v) So you cannot use handle ties.  This gives GE one significant advantage over the Siemens. There are 2 features that Siemens offer however which make them superior for remodel homes with Siemens or Murray (Yes Siemens breakers are rated for Murray Panels) Main Circuit Breaker Panels, and new construction. Wire […]

At Safe and Sound Electric we do a lot of remodels.  There are a few conditions in older homes that cause AFCI or arc fault breakers to trip.  One of the most common causer of this is circuit collisions not on the phase but on the neutral.  We see countless number of homes that would be otherwise incompatible with AFCI or arc fault technology because the previous electrician did not segregate neutrals from different circuits. This is no longer a problem using GE AFCI or arc fault circuit breakers.  The nomenclature THQL120AF2 denotes the generational difference of circuit breakers with this technology.  If the circuit breaker ends in “AF2” it does not matter if the downstream neutral is shared; in fact the downstream neutral doesn’t even need to be landed on the breaker itself, contrary to all breakers made by any competitor.  “AF1” and GE’s competitor’s current breakers used a similar same electronic tripping mechanism as a GFCI or ground fault but instead […]