Arc Fault Detector Outlet

The purpose of an arc fault detector outlet is to prevent fires caused by dangerous electric arcs in the wiring system. It can distinguish between a harmless spark that can occur, for example, when plugging in an appliance, and a dangerous arc that can occur when a wire has a broken conductor.

Conventional circuit breakers detect overloads and short circuits but do not detect unwanted arcing conditions. Arc faults are one of the leading causes of fires.