So I have run across quite a number of these yellow labels that either do nothing when you press the test button, or they energetically turn night into day. I will only hit that test button if the panel cover is on.
Anyway, a year or so ago, I remember finding a website that said the Yellow sticker ones were under some kind of recall. I told a number of home owners this and several got back to me, including a neighbor who I did the inspection for and thanked me since they got the breaker itself replaced for free. They do cost about $70 after all.
Anyway, I told the same thing after an inspection recently and and the HO said they couldn’t find any information about a recall.
I then looked, and I can’t seem to find any information either and I KNOW it was out there before.
Does anyone have a direct link to replacements on these I can give to home owners or is it all done?
This breaker below is just a picture of the suspect, It’s already been replaced. It was a neighbor who handed it to me after she got it done for free some time ago.
What is/was the age of the breakers in question?
AFCI’s are (currently) designed to last for 30-40 year lifespan, but, many older models (pre-2008… such as the Yellow Eaton), commonly failed after 10 years.
I searched the CPSC database. The breakers are not listed as having ever been recalled. The only AFCI CB that has been recalled in the US was a Square D CB in 2004.
They likely fell under the 10 year limited warranty. Given most of these were around the 2008 time period they are no longer being covered. Since its a rather known issue, calling may get you replacement breakers, but unlikely to get labor covered. Like others said, I don’t think they were ever “recalled.”
Maybe you mean class action lawsuit instead of recall. I know I’ve done that a few times. A quick AI search revealed a lot of info about issues with them. For example:
Thanks. I know they’ve replaced one for someone within the past few months, but it’s possible that just squeaked inside a warranty window.
I’ve had several of these pop and sizzle very energetically. Most of the time, they just do nothing.
The more recent models with white/green/blue labels that fail just make racket like 4 times and fail to trip. Those can often be redeemed by working the handle a few times and then they trip normally.
Resolution:
This product recall includes all catalog numbers for QO, HOM, and QOB AFI circuit breakers with blue test buttons manufactured between March 1, 2004 and September 23, 2004.
Catalog numbers affected include the following:
QO115AFI, QOB115AFI, HOM115AFI
QO120AFI, QOB120AFI, HOM120AFI
QO115VHAFI, QOB115VHAFI
QO120VHAFI, QOB120VHAFI
Date Codes include the following:
CN, DN, EN, FN, GN, HN, and JN
The recall is now being handled by Square D/Schneider Electric Field Services in Charlotte, NC at 1-800-634-8730. However, return the product to your local distributor.
There have been many cases of counterfeit circuit breakers. Square D seems to be a favorite choice of counterfeiters. The CPSC has many counterfeit breakers listed in their recall database. There are a few counterfeit GFCI breakers in the database, but I haven’t seen any counterfeit AFCIs listed.
So I asked Grok. I wish there was more detail, but I’m just going to forward this to the home owner.
Eaton AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) breakers with a yellow sticker (often described as a yellow strip across the test button) appear to be part of a series of models known for frequent failures, primarily nuisance tripping under low loads or failing to reset. While there isn’t an official recall from sources like the CPSC, Eaton offers a warranty replacement program for affected units, typically swapping them for models with green stickers. Users can contact Eaton at 1-877-386-2273 (various options like 1 then 4, or 2-2-1) to request free replacements, though installation costs aren’t covered. There’s also an ongoing class action lawsuit regarding these breakers mistaking harmless arcs for hazardous ones, leading to unnecessary trips.
Based on user reports, here are examples of incidents involving sparking or explosions specifically with these yellow-stickered Eaton AFCI breakers:
One user described pressing the test button on a yellow-striped breaker, which caused it to produce a loud buzzing sound followed by an explosion. This resulted in arc marks on the panel cover and nearly caused a panel fire. They strongly advised against testing these breakers due to the risk.
Another report involved two out of five yellow-striped breakers sparking or smoking when the test button was pressed, leading to immediate replacement with non-yellow models to avoid further hazards.
These incidents seem tied to internal failures during testing rather than in normal operation, but they highlight potential risks like arcing or explosive failure within the breaker itself. No widespread reports of house fires or explosions during regular use were found, but the pattern of failures has led many to proactively replace them. If you have these breakers, consider contacting Eaton for assessment and avoid pressing the test button based on these accounts.
Hey Mark, I’ve been doing inspections since 2017 and have pressed plenty of test buttons, but it wasn’t until this year that I had problems with the tan Eaton breakers. I’ve had four instances so far this year where pressing the button resulted in sparks.
I was fortunate enough in one of those instances where I let the agent know of the situation and she sent an electrician out to address the problem. I was there when he arrived and he said that Eaton had a lifetime warranty on the tan breakers as there was some sort of issue. Unfortunately it didn’t occur to me at the time to get the model number.
It wasn’t long after that incident I was at a house testing the tan Eaton breakers when one sparked. I stopped the electrical panel inspection at that point and when the owner returned I let them know the situation. I had a radon test in place at that house at that time and when I went back to pick it up the owner said the electrician came out to check tha panel and when he tested the other breakers another one sparked out. Since then I’ve been very shy about testing the AFCI/GFCI breakers, especially the Eatons.
I’ve had two of those ones shown in the first post that popped and did a long electrical sizzle, complete with bright arcing. The first time it happened, I had the cover off. I learned my lesson :). I thought I was going to have a major issue because it turned night into day.
That said, I leave the covers on now when I’m testing and when it comes to these particular breakers, I’ve got my hand on the main if it’s in the panel. I’m ready to shut it off if I hear the slightest hesitation.
I suppose we could call these out for an electrician to review, but they aren’t going to do anything we wouldn’t anyway and I think it’s incumbent upon us to pay attention to items that we know are problematic.
Most of them that fail simply do nothing when you press the button. I have probably tested at least 50 panels with these in there. A few percentage of them will raise your heart rate though
