Testing outlet on AFCI breaker

barley

I just hooked up a circuit with about 11 outlets to an AFCI breaker in my panel. I check that all of the outlets work by plugging a lamp into them. I also wanted to go back and check with my volt meter. I am getting proper reading across the hot and neutral slots of the outlet, but when I check from hot or neutral to ground the breaker trips. Is this supposed to happen ??? I don't think it does on a standard outlet with a standard breaker.

gregzoll

Current leakage. What are you trying to solve by using the meter? If everything is hooked up as it should be by code, you do not need to go back and use a meter. Now, if it is for pre-inspection, they make afci & gfci testers.

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barley

I am not trying solve anything, I just wanted to verify that all the outlets were hooked up properly. Is it a situation where if they work, they must be hooked up correctly ? I have not had my final inspection yet.

ddawg16

What kind of meter are you using? A good digital or an analog? An anlog meter such as a Simpson 260 could have low enough impeadance to trip the AFIC. If it's a digital meter....then that is one cheap meter.

If you don't mind, post the model of the meter.

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barley

I will find out what the model of the meter is a little later . . . I am not sure off hand. Is using one of those plug in testers a better idea ??

gregzoll

You do by visually inspecting as you put the junctions together. There is no need to go back and use a meter to test. The only thing that I use is a two probe tester that lights up telling me that it has power, and that is only if I think that there is a loose junction point somewhere.

Other than that, it is hook up the outlet, put it in the junction box, and place the cover on it and walk away.

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Code05

No. The breaker is holding with a load connected-. Try a three prong load also.

Push the button on the breaker, it should trip, reset breaker, if it holds- you are done.

jimmy21

With an afci protected circuit, testing anything to ground will trip the breaker. It is working as it should. It sounds like your circuit is performing just as it should

barley

That is what I was wondering, I didn't know for sure if that was supposed to happen.

Thanks

Code05

No, a high impedance digital meter will not trip a AFCI or a GFCI.

jimmy21

Once again, I have no idea why your question couldn't have been answered in the ffirst response. Ask a simple question and it usually doesn't get sanswered until at least the second page

jimmy21

Many meters will trip it if it puts any kind of a load on it. Not all meters but I guarantee that's the problem here