Minimize the risk of electrical fires with AFDD

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As per a report on the NSW government website, 40% of house fires are caused by electrical faults. Some of the reasons include faulty outlets, aging appliances, and frayed electrical cords. These are easy to identify, and you can always replace an old appliance or damaged wiring in your home. But there is one insidious electrical hazard that’s often invisible: arc faults.

What are arc faults, and how do they occur?

An arc fault occurs when an electric current deviates from its intended path and travels through damaged insulation. It’s similar to seeing a spark when you plug in something broken. When a wire in your wall gets slightly frayed or loose, the electricity jumps out, creating heat that could start a fire. These sparks can cause anything from minor burns to more serious injuries if not fixed properly.

And we have no way of knowing about this until it’s too late. That said, you can minimize the chances of such electrical hazards with an arc fault detection device (AFDD) installed in your home.

What is AFDD, and how can it protect your home from electrical hazards?

Arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) are advanced electrical safety devices specifically designed to protect against the phenomenon we just described, and that is called arc fault. An AFDD immediately trips when it detects a potentially dangerous arc resulting from faulty, worn wires or loose connections. This interrupts the circuit, cutting off power and preventing the potential risk of fire in your homes.

AFDDs are far more sensitive to arcs than conventional circuit protective devices such as MCB, RCD, and surge protectors and can even detect low-voltage currents. It has sensors and electronic boards that monitor the circuit’s current waveform. That’s why when an arc fault occurs and creates an unstable waveform, AFDD helps identify the arc’s signature and sends a tripping order to open the circuit.

But at the same time, AFDDs are also tolerant of electrical arcs caused by the regular operation of electrical devices such as switches and brushed motors.  You might see a tiny spark when you plug in or unplug an electrical device. This is a small electrical arc. The AFDD is designed to ignore these tiny sparks because they are normal and not dangerous. To learn more, watch the video here.

Find the right product to protect your assets

Although arc fault detection devices (AFDD) have been used in the U.S. since 2002, they have more recently become available in other parts of the world, including Australia. And it’s crucial to select the right device for your homes and buildings. For example, our Acti9 AFDD can offer enhanced protection against electrical fire risks.

It fits seamlessly into residential and building electrical switchboards and offers advanced fire safety for buildings, equipment, and people from fires originating due to electrical arc faults. In building projects, Acti9 can also send data and notifications to the cloud via our latest generation of gateways, EcoStruxure Panel Server, for improved monitoring.

Keep your homes and assets protected

All it takes is one weak point in a wire to create an electrical hazard in your home. Stay ahead of such risks with advanced electrical protection devices, like AFDDs, and enjoy peace of mind. Learn more about arc fault protection here.