Circuit breakers are protective switching devices that are resettable to protect a circuit from high currents or short circuits. They protect circuits by reacting very efficiently due to their protective relays when detecting electrical circuits' faults. They are indispensable devices for every home to prevent overloads that may cause damage to the electrical system or even catch fire.
How Do Circuit Breakers Work?
These protective breakers are designed to cut off the power supply upon detection of overloads. The working principles of these breakers depend on the type of breakers that work slightly differently. Each breaker is designed to trip the mechanism or designed for specific uses.
What's the Difference Between Circuit Breakers and Fuses?
A circuit breaker is a resettable device that can be reused several times unless the manufacturer provides the limitations. On the other hand, fuses are simple devices that do not work once they are used.
Technically, circuit breakers automatically break the circuit, while fuses feature a filament that melts and breaks the circuit.
Types of Circuit Breakers
As mentioned above, the circuit breaker designs vary depending on the voltage amount required to work with. Some of their types are given below:
- Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs): These breakers are designed to protect electrical circuits from short circuits and overload. They are further categorized into the most common types: B, C, and D.
- Thermal breakers: These breakers feature electromagnetic and bimetallic strips and react instantly to various overcurrent conditions.
- Residual current circuit breakers (RCCBs): They are designed to help prevent injuries from electric shocks by protecting against residual currents. Like MCBs, they are classified into widely used types such as A, B, AC, and S.
- Magnetic circuit breakers: These are complex circuit breakers that use solenoid components for contact separation. They often use hydraulic and fluid mechanisms to get more control over the solenoid action.
- Residual circuit breaker with overload (RCBOs): These versatile breakers combine all the functions of MCB and RCCB circuit breakers and are designed to protect against overloads, residual current, and short circuits.
What are the Uses of Circuit Breakers?
They are mainly used in applications where electrical power needs to be turned ON and OFF, or overcurrent protection is required like:
- Lighting circuits
- Motor control centers
- Feeder circuits.
Enrgtech stocks a vast collection of fine-quality circuit breakers and other devices in related categories, including residential RCBOs, RCBs, MCBs, and RCCBs, as well as thermal magnetic and thermal automotive circuit breakers.
