A method and system for determining whether arcing is present in an electrical circuit. The methods includes sensing a change in an alternating current in the circuit and developing a corresponding input signal, analyzing the input signal to determine the presence of broadband noise in a predetermined range of frequencies, and producing a corresponding output signal. The method further includes determining a type of load connected to the electrical circuit, based at least in part upon the input signal and the output signal, incrementing one or more of a plurality of counters in a predetermined fashion in accordance with the input signal and the output signal and determining whether an arcing fault is present based at least in part on the states of one or more of a plurality of counters. The method also includes decrementing one or more of the plurality of counters based upon a secondary analysis.