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Power Circuit Breakers Save Lives and Property

Power circuit breakers are some of the most important devices in the home and in buildings and plants in general. Because they are so important, the more one learns about them the better.

Most people understand that power circuit breakers come in many different types and sizes, but some people do not fully realize the importance of using the exact same power circuit breaker as came with the electrical panel.

Unlike many other devices found in the home or plant, power circuit breakers do not come in a one size fits all line. Each manufacturer will have its own design of the device that they produce. In many cases, you can interchange one brand with another brand when it is time to replace a device. In other words, if you have a device that was built by General Electric, you may have no other choice but to replace the device with another that was built by General Electric.

Power circuit breakers work much like fuses do. They are both protection devices that cut the flow of current when a fault occurs. The fuse is not reusable once it has served its purpose and must be replaced in whole. The power circuit breakers, on the other hand, are reset once they have been tripped.

It is not widely known, but power circuit breakers can also be used as control devices to turn on and turn off devices. This is done by manually opening and closing the contacts.

As mentioned above, power circuit breakers come in many sizes and types. In addition to those that most people are familiar with, they also come in select types such as those that are activated by air or those that work in a vacuum. There are also oil based devices that use a particular type of oil to put out the arc once a fault has occurred.

As you can see, knowing the exact type of device is important when replacements are needed. You can find the details of the type you have usually written inside the panel box itself. You will need to isolate or identify the device that has blown or has been damaged in order to review the correct information for that particular device.

If you are not comfortable handling power circuit breakers, ask for assistance from a professional. Electrical devices can be dangerous and even deadly if they are not handled properly and if the proper safety precautions are not followed. Never work with power circuit breakers with the power on.