Electrotechnics

Types of circuit brakers

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 Objective:
Recognize the types of circuit breakers.

1. What is a circuit braker?

2. What must a circuit braker do?
3. Types of circuit breakers
A. GFCI circuit breakers
B. AFCI circuit breakers
C. Single-Pole circuit breakers
D. Double-Pole circuit breakers

4. When should you change circuit breakers?

5. How to change circuit breakers?
6. Conclusions

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 1. What is a circuit braker?

• A circuit breaker is a mechanical switch that

automatically operates to protect a circuit from
the damage caused by fault current. It
automatically breaks the circuit upon
immediately detecting a huge consumption of
current flow due to overloading or short circuit.

• It can also manually break open the circuit for

maintenance or fault clearance. Overloading
occurs when the load draws a very huge current
more than the rated current. A short circuit
occurs when two exposed wires come into
contact with each other by any means.

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 2. What must a circuit braker do?
It should momentarily withstand the fault current
•It should safely break open the circuit
•It should quickly extinguish the arc.
•Its terminals should withstand the voltage after
breaking. It should prevent the arc from re-striking.

The CB is designed to tolerate a specific range

of fault current without damaging its terminals.
Once it detects the fault current, it trips &
interrupts the current flow.

It breaks open the circuit using some sort of stored

mechanical energy such as spring or a blast of
compressed air to separate the contacts.

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 3. Types of circuit breakers

Ground Fault
Circuit
Breaker

Double-pole Arc Fault

circuit Circuit
breakers Interrupters

Single-pole
circuit brakers

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 A. GFCI circuit breakers

This breaker has the

dual protection of
GFCI operation and
A Ground Fault Breaker AFCI operation. This
or GFCI circuit breaker means it has the ability
is a  special circuit to detect both ground
breaker that protects faults and arc faults
the entire circuit. It somewhere in the
Ground Fault Circuit means that all the electrical system
Interrupter is a device receptacles currently
used to detect a ground linked to the circuit with
fault that can cause the GFCI breaker have
electrocution or its protection
electrical shock. It is
installed in the
bathroom, kitchen, or
even garage.

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 B. AFCI circuit breakers

AFCI Circuit Breakers: AFCI stands for Arc

Fault Circuit Interrupters and is now required in
modern homes.
AFCI breakers protect against electrical arcs.
Electrical arcs can get so hot they are easily
able to burn wood, insulation, and other
materials, endangering your family and your
property. Normally electricity travels through
wires.
What makes arc faults so dangerous is the
electricity can jump, leaving the circuit, and
traveling to surrounding environments.

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 B.1.Type of circuit breakers AFCI
AFCIs are intended Branch/Feeder Combination Breaker
to mitigate the Breaker AFCI AFCI
effects of arcing A device intended to be In addition to the
faults by functioning installed at the origin of protection provided by
to de-energize the a branch circuit or the Branch Feeder
circuit when an arc feeder, such as at a AFCI, the Combination
fault is detected. panelboard. AFCI provides for
series arc detection
down to 5 amperes

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 C. Single-Pole circuit breakers

The most common

The most narrow
Single-Pole Circuit
Breakers: Single-pole A single wire
circuit breakers are the They are the most
most common circuits narrow of the circuit
breaker switches found The name single-pole
found in today’s breaker came about because
boxes. in your home’s electrical
panel. This single circuit these circuits are
might power the lights in designed to monitor the
your living room or feed current of a single wire,
receptacles in your tripping the circuit in the
kitchen event there is a short,
surge or electrical
overload

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 D. Double-Pole circuit breakers

Double-pole circuit breakers

simultaneously monitor the flow
of two wires, not just one.

These types of breakers will

trip if one or both wires is
being overloaded or has
shorted-out.

Double-pole circuit breakers

are constructed to supply
power to more demanding
appliances

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 4. When should you change circuit breakers?
• Flickering Lights • Burning
Smell
An
electrician Due to age
to find out or overuseit
what is will cause
causing the wires to
your lights overheat
to flicker
This may be
Instead of
due to wire
replacing
overheating
expensive
, because
appliances,
your circuit
it is wise to
breaker not
check that
• Appliances Aren’t • Discolored
working
the breaker
Working Properly or Singed
properly
Outlets

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 5. How to change circuit breakers? (i)
1.Wear protective lineman’s gloves, protective rubber-
soled shoes, goggles and ensure there is no water
present.
2.Locate the main circuit breaker box and inspect to
see if you can find the defective breaker. If you do find
a faulty breaker, take a voltage tested and check for
voltage.
3.Now the important part. Shut off the power supply,
but do it in this order. Cut off the power to the branch
breaker boxes. Then the main power. And finally,
make sure there is no power running to the individual
breakers.
4.Inspect the entire circuit breaker box and individual
breakers for any kind of singing, rust, or discoloration.
5.Next, you’ll have to remove the faceplate from the
breaker box using a screwdriver.

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 5. How to change circuit breakers? (ii)

6. Remove the faulty circuit breaker and discard it.

7. Replace the old circuit breaker with the new one and
affix the wiring in the same manner that it was affixed
to the old breaker. Screw-in tightly.
8. Now you’ll want to replace the breaker panel
faceplate and make sure all of the branch circuit
switches are in the ‘off’ position.
9. With all of the switches set to the ‘off’ position, you’ll
want to restore power to the main circuit breaker and
then flip each individual breaker on separately.
10. Test each circuit with your voltage tester to ensure
they are all set and working properly.

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 6. Conclusions
 Circuit breakers are switches that are installed inside your
home’s breaker box that protect your electrical.

 Installing the right circuit breakers to suit your home’s

electrical needs is a necessary step in preventing electrical
fires and avoiding other hazards

 GFCIs protect people from a specific source of electrical

shock, the ground fault.

 An AFCI breaker provides a higher level of protection than a

standard circuit breaker by detecting and removing the
hazardous arcing condition before it becomes a fire hazard.

 Single-pole breakers: Provide 120 volts, 15-20 amps and

have one hot wire and one neutral wire.
 Double-pole breakers: Provide 240 volts, 20-60 amps and
have two hot wires that share one neutral wire.

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