Arc-fault breakers stop wiring fires. Ground-fault breakers stop shocks. We fit the right one for your panel, and find out why the one you have keeps tripping.
Next Phase Electric installs and replaces AFCI, GFCI and dual-function breakers in homes across South King and Pierce County. An AFCI (arc-fault) breaker shuts a circuit off when it detects the sparking of a damaged wire or loose connection, which is how many house fires start. A GFCI (ground-fault) breaker shuts off when current leaks to ground, which is what causes shocks. Each breaker has to be the type made for your panel. Swapping one takes under an hour, and we test the circuit first so the new breaker does not trip on an old fault.
Matched to the panel, tested on the circuit.
For bedrooms, living rooms, hallways and most other rooms. Required on new and extended circuits, and a sensible upgrade in a house with old wiring.
For circuits near water or outdoors: hot tubs, well pumps, garages, exterior outlets. Protects every outlet on the circuit from one place.
Arc-fault and ground-fault protection in one breaker. Common on kitchen and laundry circuits, where the code asks for both.
An arc-fault breaker that keeps tripping is usually right. We find the loose connection, damaged cord or wiring fault it is detecting.
It is rarely the breaker. Three causes cover most of the calls.
Old vacuum cleaners, treadmills and cords with damaged insulation make real arcs. Unplug everything on the circuit; if the breaker holds, the fault is in a cord or an appliance.
A push-in outlet connection or a loose wire nut arcs under load. This is exactly the fault the breaker is there to catch, and it is the one that starts fires.
Two circuits sharing one neutral, or neutrals from different circuits joined in a box, trip arc-fault and ground-fault breakers. Common where wiring has been added over the years.
What each one detects and where it goes.
| Protects against | Where it goes | |
|---|---|---|
| AFCI | Fire from sparking in damaged or loose wiring. | Bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, closets and most other living areas. |
| GFCI | Shock from current leaking to ground. | Bathrooms, kitchens, garages, laundry, outdoors, hot tubs. |
| Dual-function | Both, in one breaker. | Kitchen and laundry circuits, or anywhere you want both without changing outlets. |
A breaker has to be made for the panel it goes in. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels have no arc-fault or ground-fault breakers, one more reason to replace them.
Licensed, bonded and insured. Background-checked crew.
Send a photo of the panel with the door open, including the label inside the door. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
A new breaker on a faulty circuit just trips. We test first, then give you the exact price before any work.
The right breaker for the panel, test button proven, circuit labeled on the directory.
Repairs: King and Pierce County south of I-90. Installations: greater Puget Sound.
An AFCI detects arcing, the sparking of a damaged wire or loose connection, and prevents fires. A GFCI detects current leaking to ground and prevents shocks. A dual-function breaker does both.
It depends on the panel brand and how many circuits. One breaker is a short job. Upgrading a whole panel is priced per panel. You get the exact price before any work, and you approve it first.
You are not required to add them to circuits that are left alone. They are required when a circuit is added or extended. In a house with older wiring they are one of the least expensive fire-safety upgrades there is.
Most often it is detecting a real fault: a worn appliance cord, a loose connection in an outlet box, or neutrals shared between circuits. Unplug everything on the circuit and reset it once. If it trips again, the fault is in the wiring and we trace it.
Yes. Hot tubs and some EV outlets need one. It has to match the panel brand, and larger GFCI breakers are not stocked everywhere, so tell us the panel when you book and we bring the right one.
An outlet is simpler when one location needs protection and it is easy to reach. A breaker is better when the whole circuit needs it, when the outlets are outdoors or behind appliances, or when the boxes are too shallow for a GFCI outlet.
Not for a like-for-like replacement. Adding protection as part of a new or extended circuit is permitted work, and we pull the electrical permit with the job.
Book online or call. Send a photo of the panel with the door open.