Smart meters are starting to trip AFCI’s as reported by 2 electricians I know and work with so far.
As you know, an arc fault breaker looks at an electrical sign wave and figures out what’s right and what’s not.
When it “see’s” the signature of an arc, it trips. RF ( radio frequency) interference has nearly the same electrical signature as an electrical arc.
Guess how the new smart meters talk to the home office? (radio frequency)
Where the electrical panel is located next to the smart meter problems have developed according to my bubba electricians.
This is NOT a builders problem. It is a utility company problem. A builder has no control over a utility company.
Need to be sure the AFCI is tripping due to smart meter and not from electrical work. This can be done by requesting the utility company switch back to a mechanical meter.
What can someone do? Write your congressmen and ask that the utility companies go back to the drawing board. (??)
It is my understanding that PG&E in Ca has already been told by court order to switch back to mechanical meters when someone has problems. More fun to come I am sure.
(No effective RF shield is available that won’t also block the RF signal back to “big brother”.)
If you inspect homes then this info may be of benefit to your master macro file.
BTW - I don’t do political updates. I get enough spam mail already.
This is verification of 5 homes on the same street that are 4 years old (same builder) that had the dial meters changed out to to the smart meters over the last week and all heck is breaking loose. In my area (Galveston County) they are changing out meters to smart meters. There is also a few folks that are fighting smart meters due to privacy issues.
On new home inspection today I warned my client about his panel located next to the dial meter and soon they will be in his neighborhood to change his meter to smart. Of course the next door neighbor who closed yesterday and was moving in over-heard me and had some idiotic idea of RF shielding to which I blew him off and escaped leaving my client with his new neighbor (ha-ha).
Anyway this is what I drafted for my reports until I get a copy of the Eaton letter (see below) -
"Information: Smart Meters May Trip AFCI’s - where smart meters are installed or may be installed in the future next to the electrical service panel by your utility company the RF (radio frequency) signal from the smart meter has nearly the same electrical signature as an electrical arc which may exacerbate a potential to trip the AFCI breaker(s) and cut power to the circuit(s). This doesn’t happen with the mechanical dial type utility meters. If the tripping is confimed by your licensed electrician after a smart meter is installed then contact your utility company for resolution. There is no way to inspect or test for this condition via a limited visual inspection as there is no testing equipment."
Eaton (Cutler-Hammer) agrees on the smart meter tripping of AFCI’s. They are preparing a letter. When my electrician gets it he will forward to me and I will try to post. I’m not that good at posting but will figure something out. My immediate mail address list gets mail quicker than a forum so if I forget please remind me. I’ve been busy and forums can’t be at the top of my daily to-do list.
Whatever anyone wants to think your phone will probably ring once the smart meter tips afci’s (with meter next to the panel). It’s not an H.I.'s fault but you should let your client know what’s going on. (Everyone knows an H.I. is all-knowing and can leap buildings in a single bound and see through walls.)
This is an easy fix. Either don’t install smart meters or change the RF (radio frequency) signal of the meter.
Barry I said …(over worry) where should I put a link from my original thought process ?
You provided a link to a large PDF that said blah…blah…blah…and blah.
OK, cutting out the fat for you this is what I get below…
Underwriters Laboratories held meetings with Electrical Inspectors during the
2009 IAEI Section Meetings. Historically, these meetings have provided for an
open exchange between the electrical inspection community and UL regarding
any subject of interest to authorities.
UL acknowledges the importance of this feedback. The electrical inspector is
an integral part of the UL information loop. It is the inspector, who during the
examination of the final installation, can judge under field conditions, the
adequacy of the constructions and markings for proper installation. It is the
inspector who can pass this installation information to UL for use in modifying
product safety requirements.
Now I ask exactly what you will do to determine the proper function during a regular Home Inspection ?,where it falls under our SOP and how the above even hints at it being part of a Home Inspectors Due diligence not to mention how a UL PDF has anything to do with me or why in the heck I would even be aware of such a thing without you searching for it and pasting it here.
Once again this is a POCO issue and not a Home Inspection issue.
Otherwise next time a GE Dishwasher heating element fails and causes recall it will also be your fault.
Gosh Barry I was pulling you chain (sorta) but when I read this on my EVO while chucking down a McRib after an Inspection I could not wait to get home and respond.
Sorry I had to much sauce on my fingers to type at the time.
hope you were able to keep that thing down and had a belated HBD!
thanks for washing up before replying my screen appreciates it
for me, becoming aware of install problems, localized or not and doing some research to be armed if and when it becomes an issue is a part of what this job is about
better for me to investigate and be prepared with a clear factual response for a report or conversation
more questions are being asked by myself and others…happy trails
thanks for washing up before replying my screen appreciates it
hope you were able to keep that thing down
belated HBD!
for me, becoming aware of install problems, localized or not and doing some research to be aware and armed if and when it becomes an issue is a part of what this job is about
better for me to investigate and be prepared with a clear factual response for a report or conversation
more questions are being asked by myself and others…happy trails
Why not blame it on the arc fault designers and not the meters? Fact is the arc fault cannot determine what right and what’s not. If its that easy to trick perhaps its bogus? What’s next, a HAM operator tripping the devices?
Maybe the answer is simple. Move the meter far enough away from the arc fault device.
Eaton (Cutler-Hammer) had their meeting. My electrician indicated “whatever” they agreed on it will pass through legal first in order to generate a response. Makes sense.
Square D rep indicated they are having issues as well.
Electricians are staying in constant touch with manufacturers supplying
model numbers and face plate data from smart meters.
The problem of AFCI tripping is where panel boxes with AFCI’s are located next to/close to the smart meters (side by side). So far no complaints from panels located (within a garage or structure) but the smart meter replacements here started only in the areas (cities) with the panel next to the meter.
I am really surprised of how many “Smart Meter” videos have sprung up on You Tube.
Electrician got involved with a continual AFCI problem house in east Houston with AFCI manufacturer and it was discovered to be the signal from the radio tower in east Houston. (as it was explained to me)
Looks like manufacturer reps carry around a radio frequency detector as much as a home inspector may carry a moisture meter.
