last highlighted date: 2023-10-19
Highlights
- A circuit breaker is a safety device to prevent damage to devices in a circuit, such as electric motors, and wiring when the current flowing through the electrical circuit supersedes its design limits. It does this by removing the current from a circuit when an unsafe condition arises. Unlike a switch, a circuit breaker automatically does this and shuts off the power immediately, or darn close to immediately. In this way it works as an automatic service protection device.A switch is typically used as an isolator, turning power on and off to a particular device. A circuit breaker, on the other hand, can be used to protect a circuit that contains many switches or devices. An exception to this is a disconnect switch, which is used to connect or disconnect power to an entire control panel, or machine.Simply put, a switch is designed to switch power on and off, a circuit breaker “breaks” the circuit in an overload or fault condition. Switches switch and breakers break. These differences are crucial to understanding their safety and practicality.
- Note: difference between circuit breaker and switch