Electricity provides a vital role in our lives. It merely provides the power to run different things we use every day. Still, it can also be hazardous if we didn’t use it properly. Thankfully, there is a switch mechanism that can solve this issue, and it is called a circuit breaker.
A circuit breaker is one of the most important safety devices in your property. It is an electrical switch that stops the flow of power supply whenever it senses a very high or faulty current. It is mainly designed for the closing or opening of an electrical circuit, thus protects the system from potential damage.
Without the circuit breaker, there will be a high risk of fire accumulation in your property because of poor wiring connections or any equipment failure. In this article, we will explore more about the circuit breakers, how does it work, and why it is essential in our daily living.
How Does It Work
The circuit breaker’s job is to cut off the power supply whenever the current jumps above its safety limit. Typically, a circuit breaker is composed of a simple switch, attach to either a bimetallic strip or electromagnet. When the current exceeds its limit, the switch trips and opens the circuit so that the current can no longer flow. This process protects the wiring circuit of your property.
Types of Circuit Breaker
Circuit breakers can be either commercial circuit breakers or residential circuit breakers, depending on the sizes in protecting appliances or equipment inside your home, offices, and other property facilities. Circuit breakers may also classify based on rated voltage.
If the rated voltage is below 1000V, these are known as the low voltage circuit breakers. If the rated voltage is above 1000V, these are called high voltage circuit breakers.
Applications of Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker can be used in a wide variety of application such as:
· Motor protection
This application is to ensure that the load current will not exceed the safe limit of the motor, which is very harmful, especially on the motor windings.
· Home electrical panels
It is designed to protect the property from the overload circuit. Usually, it consists of the main breaker and its branches, which distribute power to different parts of the property.
· Lights
Circuit breaker deals with the amount of power needed to light a property, especially if using different types such as lamps, fluorescent light, halogen, LED lights, and many more.
· Industrial application
Most of the small-scale industrial buildings require up to 30kA capacity. Therefore, miniature breakers are a better option to use rather than old fuses. Aside from that, if a breaker trips, it can manually reset and can be used over and over again. Make sure to check the electric current and voltage of a switch first using shunt resistors to ensure the reliability of the switch.
Circuit breakers are indeed necessary specifically if we are dealing with electrical components. They ensure that everyone is safe if a possible accident occurs in a specific area. Safety is our top priority, so make sure to use a circuit breaker.
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