Method for identifying arcing faults within a circuit having a mains frequency, an electric current and an electric voltage, - in which method an emerging interference signal that has a frequency below an NF1 frequency and a current intensity of the electric current of the circuit above an NF1 threshold value defines an NF1 signal, - in which method a number of emerging interference signals that have a frequency below an HF2 frequency are combined to form an HF2 signal when the number of interference signals is greater than or equal to an HF2 number, and if the time interval of two successive interference signals is smaller than an HF2 time, - in which method an HF2 signal starts a serial time period, and - in which method the arcing fault is identified and/or reported, ∘ when, in a first measuring phase of the serial time period, a number of HF2 signals is measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between a fourth termination timespan and a third termination timespan, when the number of HF2 signals is equal to a first serial number, ∘ when, in a second measuring phase, which initiates a stopping period after the first measuring phase, a further number of HF2 signals has been measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between the fourth termination timespan and the third termination timespan, when the further number of HF2 signals is equal to a second serial number, and ∘ when, within the serial time period, a number of HF1 signals has been measured, which is a number equal to a third serial number, wherein the time interval between two successive NF1 signals is between a fifth termination timespan and a sixth termination timespan, and when, after the last of the NF1 signals for at least one timespan, which corresponds to the fifth termination timespan, no further NF1 signal has been measured, and - in which method the serial time period is ended if, in one of the measuring phases (92, 102), the time interval of two directly successive HF2 signals is greater than the third termination timespan. - in which method an emerging interference signal that has a frequency below an NF1 frequency and a current intensity of the electric current of the circuit above an NF1 threshold value defines an NF1 signal, - in which method a number of emerging interference signals that have a frequency below an HF2 frequency are combined to form an HF2 signal when the number of interference signals is greater than or equal to an HF2 number, and if the time interval of two successive interference signals is smaller than an HF2 time, - in which method an HF2 signal starts a serial time period, and - in which method the arcing fault is identified and/or reported, ∘ when, in a first measuring phase of the serial time period, a number of HF2 signals is measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between a fourth termination timespan and a third termination timespan, when the number of HF2 signals is equal to a first serial number, ∘ when, in a second measuring phase, which initiates a stopping period after the first measuring phase, a further number of HF2 signals has been measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between the fourth termination timespan and the third termination timespan, when the further number of HF2 signals is equal to a second serial number, and ∘ when, within the serial time period, a number of HF1 signals has been measured, which is a number equal to a third serial number, wherein the time interval between two successive NF1 signals is between a fifth termination timespan and a sixth termination timespan, and when, after the last of the NF1 signals for at least one timespan, which corresponds to the fifth termination timespan, no further NF1 signal has been measured, and ∘ when, in a first measuring phase of the serial time period, a number of HF2 signals is measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between a fourth termination timespan and a third termination timespan, when the number of HF2 signals is equal to a first serial number, ∘ when, in a second measuring phase, which initiates a stopping period after the first measuring phase, a further number of HF2 signals has been measured, the time interval of which between two respective successive HF2 signals is between the fourth termination timespan and the third termination timespan, when the further number of HF2 signals is equal to a second serial number, and ∘ when, within the serial time period, a number of HF1 signals has been measured, which is a number equal to a third serial number, wherein the time interval between two successive NF1 signals is between a fifth termination timespan and a sixth termination timespan, and when, after the last of the NF1 signals for at least one timespan, which corresponds to the fifth termination timespan, no further NF1 signal has been measured, and - in which method the serial time period is ended if, in one of the measuring phases (92, 102), the time interval of two directly successive HF2 signals is greater than the third termination timespan.