Circuit Breakers in Your Home

What do you think of when you hear the saying "blow a fuse?" Do you think of the panel in your house where you replace a little glass bulb with a wire in it? Or do you think of the panel where you flip a switch to restore your electricity? If you think of the switch, then you actually have a circuit breaker in your house. This is a reusable electric switch that cuts off the circuit when the current is too high, preventing your wiring from heating up and potentially causing a fire.

Fuses are an older way of interrupting the flow of current. A fuse is simply a wire that heats up and breaks when the current is too high, disrupting the electricity. To turn it back on, the fuse has to be replaced. Newer houses and electrical installations use circuit breakers instead. All wiring and appliances in a house are on circuits. A circuit is essentially a closed loop of wire, allowing a return path for current to flow on. It consists of a "hot" wire coming from the source of electricity, and a "neutral" wire that connects to the ground. When the circuit is closed, the current can then flow, as it moves from areas of higher concentration to lower.

The current is the rate of flow of the electrical charge. Current is the voltage divided by resistance. Voltage is the force making the charge move and resistance is determined by the size and properties of the wiring and appliances. Voltage and resistance working together will vary the amount of current. Current increases when there is more voltage or less resistance, allowing the charge to flow faster.

When the charge moves to quickly, the wire or appliance the charge is moving through may not be able to handle it. Or, something will cause the hot wire to connect to the neutral wire or something else connected to the ground. A lack of resistance in the circuit will cause the charge to move freely. Either way, increased current will trip the circuit breaker switch.

Many small household circuit breakers consist of an electromagnet or a metallic strip that will cause a terminal in the breaker to move and open the circuit. Under normal conditions, current flows across the breaker from one terminal to the other and out the other end. But as current becomes too high, it will cause an electromagnet to move or a metal strip to bend, opening the circuit and stopping the flow of electricity. An arc of electricity is created in a chamber in the breaker when this happens, but in a household one, air is enough to extinguish it. Larger circuit breakers may use different methods of extinguishing this arc, such as a vacuum chamber, gas, or oil.

All the wiring in a house flows through circuit breakers. They're found on a panel in the house, usually in the basement or a closet. Some large appliances, like air conditioners or refrigerators, will be on their own circuits and have their own switch. When the circuit breaker is tripped, it will appear in the middle or off position of the switch. To reset it, unplug or turn off all devices and appliances on that circuit. Then make sure that all switches have been moved to the off position. Then simply move everything back to on. It's then safe to turn your appliances back on. Your electricity is back to normal.

If the circuit trips again with nothing plugged in or turned on, the breaker or electrical wiring may have a fault in it and need to be replaced. If it trips when something is turned on, there may be a short in the appliance or it is placing too much load on the circuit. If resetting the circuit breaker doesn't restore your electricity, there may be a wiring fault, a defective outlet, or your circuit is on a different type of circuit breaker, such as a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This is one designed to prevent electrocution and monitors the amount of current. These are often used in locations like the kitchen and bathroom. GFCI outlets have 'test' and 'reset' buttons on them. To trip the circuit, press the test one. To restore the circuit, simply press reset and the electricity should return to normal.

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A Review of Prominent Circuit Breaker Manufacturers

The following article provides a review of prominent circuit breaker manufacturers.

ABB is at the forefront of circuit breaker manufacturers, offering homes and industries the ability to achieve maximum performance while limiting the negative impact on the environment. With companies operating in over 100 countries around the globe, ABB is a leader in its field. ABB offers products from miniature circuit breakers to molded-case breakers and guarantees its products are among the safest and most dependable on the market.

Perhaps better known for home appliances and products for various industries, Siemens is also a leading circuit breaker manufacturer. In 1998, Siemens executed a major recall of one of their circuit breaker products. The breaker in question was mostly used in hot tubs and spas. Although Siemens claims they are unaware of any injuries due to malfunction, they erred on the side of caution. The breakers were found to have the potential cause electrocution of people in hot tubs.

GE circuit breakers are probably some of the best-known and used circuit breakers on the market. GE offers circuit breakers that are compliant with Federal regulations. This circuit breaker manufacturer offers a wide range of products for all voltage needs. From home to industrial electrical necessities, GE has products for both low and high voltage electrical outputs.

ITE is credited as the founder of 5 kV air magnetic circuit breakers. They were among the first circuit breaker manufacturers to offer low energy and high quality solutions to industrial electrical needs. ITE also offers medium and high voltage circuit breakers for a variety of purposes.

Cutler-Hammer (Eaton) is also a well-known circuit breaker manufacturer. Perhaps one of the most innovative technologies to come from this company in recent years is the fireguard circuit breaker. Cutler-Hammer’s FireGuard provides protection from fire hazards that result from arcing faults. FireGuard circuit breakers will likely become the standard circuit breakers used in 21st century homes because they provide advanced protection against some of the most common causes of house fires.

The reliability of Federal Pacific, an established circuit breaker manufacturer, is questionable at best. These breakers have a notorious reputation for failure to trip when hit with a power surge. Some experts claim the rate to be upwards of 25%. Failure to trip during a power surge can cause structural fires. Rumors have circulated that the company was “de-listed” from the UL, although the company states they simply “went out of business”. Regardless of the actual reason for this, most electrical experts recommend discontinuing the use of these circuit breakers since most tests show an unacceptable failure rate.

Another circuit breaker manufacturer, Square D, has a long history in the circuit breaker business. This company was the first to offer plug-in type circuit breakers in 1951, which was then highly innovative technology. Since that time, Square D continues to be a leader in circuit breaker technology and offers a wide variety of products for both home and industry.

According to product reviews, ETA is the leading manufacturer of circuit breakers around the world. Their circuit breakers are crafted with precision and are used for a variety of circuit protection technologies. Thermal, magnetic, high-performance and electronic are just a few of ETA’s specialties. They continue to strive to create and produce the best circuit protection on the market.

Since 1947, Westinghouse circuit breakers have been among the most durable and reliable on the market. In tests, these breakers continue to deliver high performance to industries and their electrical needs. It is likely that Westinghouse will continue to be a leader in this field because they continually strive to meet the needs of advancing technologies.

Circuit Breakers Info provides detailed information about circuit breaker panels, circuit breaker manufacturers, plus advice on how to replace and install circuit breakers and where to buy used and surplus circuit breakers. Circuit Breakers Info is the sister site of Electricians Web.

The Function of Circuit Breaker Panels

As a homeowner, you should be familiar with the location of your circuit breaker panel. In most homes, the circuit breaker box is located in the laundry area or basement. Sometimes the circuit breaker box is located on the outside of the home. In larger homes, there may be multiple circuit breaker panels, including the main panel and additional sub-panels. The circuit breaker panel box is usually gray in color and is mounted on a wall. If you open the panel doors, you will see several different circuit breakers. Each of these breakers controls the power input and output of each appliance in your home. The main breaker controls power to the entire home, and will shut off power to the entire home.

A circuit breaker box houses the main and individual circuits for appliances in your home. Circuits serve to protect the home in the case of current overload. If an overload of power occurs, because of faulty electrical wiring or a multitude of other reasons, the breaker will trip causing power to be shut off, either to individual appliances or to the entire house.

Most homeowners have experienced a tripped circuit breaker at one time or another. If you are unable to get power to a particular appliance, chances are the breaker was tripped. Because this is common, especially in older homes, it is important to label each circuit in the circuit breaker panel. To label the circuits, you can check by switching off each circuit to determine what power source each is linked to. Labeling each circuit in the circuit breaker box can make it much easier and less frustrating in the future.

Circuit Breakers Info provides detailed information about circuit breaker panels, circuit breaker manufacturers, plus advice on how to replace and install circuit breakers and where to buy used and surplus circuit breakers. Circuit Breakers Info is the sister site of Electricians Web.