You’ve seen that circuit breaker box that is located in the basement or back hallway of your house. You know that there are circuit breakers in that metal box. But have you ever stopped to wonder how those circuit breakers work?
Electricity is delivered from your local power plant to your house through an electrical distribution grid. This grid brings electricity into your house at a consistent voltage. However, all the different lights and appliances in your home offer resistance or load to the electrical circuits in your home. Normally the light or appliance keeps the current low for safety, but occasionally something malfunctions and the current will rise above a safe level. This is when the circuit breaker will trip and cut electricity to the light or appliance. This helps to prevent fires in your home.
A circuit breaker has a switch on the front. This switch is attached to an electromagnet or a bimetallic strip. Both ends of the switch are connected to the hot wire from the circuit in your home. Electricity flows through the circuit breaker when the switch is put in the on position. If the electricity jumps to an unsafe level, the linkage inside the circuit break will tilt and the contacts will move apart inside the circuit breaker. This will stop the flow of electricity through the breaker and the appliance or light will shut off.
All wiring in a modern home runs through circuit breakers that are contained inside a breaker panel. This panel may contain ten or more circuit breakers. These breakers are dedicated to certain areas of your home. For example, one breaker may control all of the lights in your kitchen. Your refrigerator or other larger appliances may each have their own circuit breaker. Circuit breakers help keep you safe and protect you from fires and other electrical safety hazards in your home.
Minniear Electric will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding circuit breakers or help with any other problems you may be having with your home wiring. Minniear Electric is located in Saugus, Massachusetts. They have been in business for over 20 years. They are dedicated to customer satisfactions and are trained, licensed and certified to provide the best service in the industry.
