Helping To Improve The Safety Of Your Home (NAPSA)—Every year, electrical fires result in thousands of injuries, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage and,in some cases, even death. While somefires are caused by faulty products, many more are caused by the misuse and poor maintenanceof electrical equipment, incorrectly installed wiring, overloaded circuits and misap- plied extension cords. Smoke alarms, fire extinguish- ers and escape ladders are all examples of emergency equipment used in homesto take action when a fire occurs. A device called an Are Fault Circuit Interrupter, or AFCI, is a residential circuit breaker designed to detect arcing faults and thus prevent fires from occurringin thefirst place. Arcing can occur when you're hanging a picture and inadver- tently pierce a wire in the wall, when old wires fray or when you string extension cords together to run fans or space heaters. Approximately 2,300 injuries, 67,800 fires and 485 deaths occur each year that can be associated with home wiring, totaling $868 million in property losses. The Consumer Product Safety Com- mission (CPSC) estimates that “AFCI devices may address 50 percent or moreof thesefires.” The latest development in this kind of technology is from Siemens. Called the Combination AFCI, it’s designed to provide the maximum available fire protection in a residential circuit breaker device. The new Combination Type AFCI device is equipped with patented LED trip indicators, which will help electricians and homeowners pinpoint the type of the An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter, or AFCI, is designed to detect a wide rangeof arc faults that can be the sourceof a fire. problems that may cause the device to trip. The LEDs are located near the handle ofthecircuit breaker. “Arc faults are extremely dangerous because they generally occur in wiring that is behind drywall or in attics, going undetected until a fire breaks out, which is why Siemens has been investing in research and development and partnering with industry innovators to develop arc fault technology,” said Dennis Sadlowksi, president and CEO of Siemens Energy & Automation. In addition, the company has a family of residential products to keep your home safe, such as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), surge protection, home automation, and load centers. When it comes to the safety of your family and your property, Siemensproducts are there to protect you. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.sea.siemens.com/afci.
