These differences are crucial to understanding their safety and practicality. Simply put, a switch is designed to switch power on and off, a circuit breaker “breaks” the circuit in an overload or fault condition.
An exception to this is a disconnect switch, which is used to connect or disconnect power to an entire control panel, or machine. A circuit breaker, on the other hand, can be used to protect a circuit that contains many switches or devices. In this way it works as an automatic service protection device.Ī switch is typically used as an isolator, turning power on and off to a particular device.
Unlike a switch, a circuit breaker automatically does this and shuts off the power immediately, or darn close to immediately. It does this by removing the current from a circuit when an unsafe condition arises. IEC 60417-5008, (circle), the power-off symbol indicates that the power has been disconnected from the device.Ī circuit breaker is a safety device to prevent damage to motors and wiring when the current flowing through the electrical circuit supersedes its design limits. IEC 60417-5007, (line), the power-on symbol indicates the equipment is in a fully powered state. You will sometimes see the numbers “1” and “0” used on switches.These symbols are international standards established by IEC. They’re known as binary devices, which essentially means it has two states, open (1) and closed (0). It can be used to both inhibit the flow of the current or to initiate it.Ī switch performs the task of manually cutting or reconnecting power from an electrical supply by creating or closing an air insulation gap between two conduction points. A SwitchĪn electrical switch serves the purpose of controlling the flow of electrical current within a circuit.
There are two important parameters concerning the connection and disconnection of power for electrical utilities: These items are often taken for granted as they work behind the scenes, and yet they are crucial for safety in homes and inįor industrial purposes, both the switch and the circuit breaker need to be able to handle a higher capacity of electricity than aīut what are the differences between a switch and a circuit breaker? Making and Breaking Is it possible to use a circuit breaker as a switch interchangeably, or are they separate entities?Ĭircuit breakers and switches are not new commodities in fact, Thomas Edison first developed the idea for a circuit breaker in 1879.
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