Circuit breakers are crucial protection devices in today’s electrical world, and one of the most important safety mechanisms in your house. Without them, house-hold electricity would be impractical because of the possibility of fires and damage resulting from simple wiring issues and equipment malfunctions. Simply speaking, a circuit breaker is a mechanical device designed to monitor electrical current within a conductor (wire) for potentially unsafe overloads or short circuits. Circuit breakers monitor the electrical voltage, current and resistance within the circuit and cutting off power to the circuit when current levels get excessive, fluctuate unexpectedly or short circuit – preventing potential disastrous situations.
Simply speaking, a circuit breaker is a mechanical device created to monitor electrical current within a conductor (wire) for potentially unsafe overloads or short circuits. Circuit breakers work by monitoring the electrical voltage, current and resistance within the circuit and turning off power to the circuit when current levels get excessive, change abruptly or short circuit – preventing damage and catastrophic situations.
To better understand circuit breakers, it is important to understand how residential electricity functions. Electricity is defined by three major elements: Voltage, Current and Resistance.
Breaker Manufacturers
The main breaker protects the entire panel for system faults and overloads. The branch breakers protect the specific circuit each is wired to and monitors the electrical current flowing within that wire of the circuit. If a specified overload or short circuit situation occurs within that circuit, the branch breaker will trip, shutting off power to all of the plugs, lights and appliances connected to that circuit.
These circuit breakers (branch breakers) then allow electricity to flow into individual wires running throughout the house connected to wall plugs, lights and various appliances. The main breaker protects the entire panel for system faults and overloads.
Beware of Counterfeits
Is Reconditioning a Safe Option?
In the event that a breaker fails, many suppliers recommend replacing the entire product. In most cases, the breaker itself is still in good working order. The problem lies in an isolated part of the product. It’s very common to replace a bad breaker with a reconditioned unit. Don’t think of it as cutting corners to save a few bucks. Reconditioning is a perfectly acceptable solution. The process will include complete disassembly of the breaker, component-specific cleaning and analysis, potential replacement of worn or faulty components, reassembly, and a final inspection and testing to ensure that the product functions to factory specifications.
Browse Breaker Connection to learn more about about obsolete and hard-to-find electrical hardware like Zinsco Breakers and Obsolete Circuit Breakers.
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Circuit Breaker Tutorial
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