Every appliance and light in your home connects to an electrical panel, which you might find in your garage or hallway. This panel consists of relays, circuit breakers, and transfer switches. Breakers protect against the many hazards that can arise in electrical systems. A breaker will determine if there’s excess electricity in a specific circuit and shut off the power if the electricity spikes. Your circuit breakers should prevent electrical fires and keep you safe.
How Circuit Breakers Work
A circuit breaker is an electromechanical component that protects the circuit from overloads and short circuiting. If the current is too high, the breaker trips and interrupts its flow. Every circuit breaker in your electrical panel should have a label that tells you what the circuit leads to. When it’s on, anything plugged into the circuit will work as normal. When the breaker trips or the switch is otherwise set to “off,” there’s no power. For instance, if the circuit breaker for your bathroom is in the “off” position, the lights won’t turn on. There are a wide range of problems that can trip the circuit breaker, which include everything from a ground fault surge to an overload.
For example, a ground fault occurs when an electrical current diverges from its intended path to the ground. During a ground fault, there isn’t any resistance to restrict the current, which means that it can increase considerably in a short period. If water gets into your electrical panel, a ground fault might occur. An overload takes place when a circuit draws too much electricity. Overusing extension cords, for instance, on the same circuit can cause an overload.
Every circuit in your electrical panel comes with a specific current amount that it can handle, such as 120 volts or 240 volts. If a single circuit carries a higher amount of current than it’s rated for, you may experience an electrical overload.
Why Circuit Breakers Are Important
Once the protective relays in your electrical panel identify a fault, one or more of the circuit breakers in your panel will interrupt the flow of the current. Along with ground faults, a circuit breaker can trip from an overloaded circuit, an open-circuit fault, and a short-circuit fault.
Before the invention of circuit breakers, every electrical panel used fuses. If the panel received too much current, the fuses would blow. When a fuse blows, part of the wiring melts. The main issue with fuses is that you need to replace them after a short circuit or ground fault. In comparison, you can reset circuit breakers to get the power up and running.
Signs of a Tripped Circuit Breaker
If the lights in your home suddenly turn off, a circuit breaker may have been tripped. If an appliance stops working, you might hear a loud clicking sound upon shutoff.
Once a circuit breaker trips, it should flip to the “off” position in your electrical panel, though the switches might also rest between the “on” and “off” positions. Some panels display red warning lights after a circuit breaker is tripped.
If a breaker trips, you may need an electrician to identify the cause and any potential hazards. Frequent breaker trips indicate that a circuit is regularly overloading or short circuiting. Determining the cause quickly with help from a professional local electrician can help you avoid an electrical fire or damage to the system.
Types of Circuit Breakers
There are several types of circuit breakers that you can install in your home, which include single-pole, double-pole, GFCI, and AFCI breakers. Single-pole circuit breakers lead to low-voltage appliances, such as your refrigerator or washing machine. The circuit can handle 120 volts of power and around 15-30 amps. Your electrical panel should also contain double-pole circuit breakers, which accommodate 240 volts of power.
If you’re renovating your electrical system, consider GFCI circuit breakers. They provide ground-fault protection and are necessary in every 125-volt receptacle. A receptacle is a socket in your wall that you can plug devices into. All newly constructed homes require GFCI breakers.
As for AFCI circuit breakers, they safeguard against electrical discharges in wiring and electrical cords. Arcing faults take abnormal paths and can cause fires, which is why you may benefit from installing AFCI breakers in your home.
Selecting the Right Circuit Breaker
To choose the right circuit breaker for each electrical application in your home, you must consider the amperage rating, interrupting capacity, voltage rating, and electrical panel compatibility. The size of your panel also determines which circuit breakers you can use.
Whether you’re renovating your home or upgrading your electrical system, our team at Stott Brothers Electric can install your preferred circuit breakers. We have experience upgrading electrical panels and installing standard circuit breakers, as well as GFCI and AFCI devices.
You can schedule our high-quality electrical services if you need to repair or replace any component in your home’s electrical system. Our residential wiring services include everything from electrical fuse updates and breaker replacements to whole-home surge protection. Call Stott Brothers Electric today to request service or create a maintenance plan for your Port St. Lucie home.
