5 Reasons to Choose Circuit Breakers over Fuses
Gone are the days when only fuses were used in electrical distribution panels to prevent any accidents and protect people and equipment in case of any short circuits or circuit overloads. Nowadays, circuit breakers do the job and that too brilliantly. There are many types of circuit breakers available in the market such as square d circuit breakers and others. However, the advantages they offer are unparalleled. In recent years, due to these advantages, circuit breakers have completely replaced fuses in the modern electrical distribution panels. If we compare both, we can figure out how circuit breakers are better compared to fuses. Consistent performance One of the drawbacks of fuses is that their performance cannot be trusted fully. They are not reliable as they can degrade due to aging or other conditions. Also, damaged fuses can open even in normal conditions, jeopardizing security and safety of people. Furthermore, there is no way to test a fuse and you don't have any way to evaluate its efficiency. This pain point is perfectly addressed by circuit breakers. Circuit breakers can offer reliable and consistent performance for a long period. In addition to that, they are tested during manufacturing and they can be tested during their operation life too. Extended protection The name circuit breaker comes from its ability to break the circuit. This breaking capacity is far greater than fuses and it makes circuit breakers a perfect choice. When under overload conditions, a circuit breaker can trip up 1000 times faster than a fuse. Moreover, some circuit breakers such as square d circuit breakers can provide fault current limitation which reduces asset aging and extends service life. Another thing to mention here is that only one
out of three fuses open in case of overload which causes the motor to continue running on two phases. When it comes to circuit breakers, it breaks all three phases simultaneously, thus eliminating the possibility of overload. Enhanced safety and uptime
We have seen the news where technical personnel died while working on electrical overload conditions. Conductors are exposed and it makes it dangerous for unskilled people to do fuse replacement. This safety hazard can cost lives sometimes. However, in the case of circuit breakers, the operation can be done remotely as connections to circuit breakers are hidden behind the device, which makes it more safe and secure. Human errors can be eliminated when you use circuit breakers. Also, you don't need to replace circuit breakers, like fuse replacements. All you need to do is to reclose a breaker. It also reduces production losses and downtime. Cost savings Though the cost of a circuit breaker is more than the cost of a fuse, when we consider the complete cost of the installation, you also need to take other costs into account. When it comes to installing fuses, you will need three fuse bases. In addition to that, you will also need an upstream switch. Due to their large heat dissipation, you will also need a large enclosure. In addition to that, when one of the three fuses is damaged, you need to replace all three fuses. You need to keep a stock of fuses in stock. So, when you consider all these costs, it reaches far greater than the cost of a circuit breaker. Greater functionality
When it comes to additional functions, fuses are nowhere to be seen. On the other hand, circuit breakers can be enhanced for other functionalities such as ground fault protection. New and advanced circuit breakers can also offer a large breadth of capabilities such as field-upgrading, remote control and status indication, alarm and auxiliary contacts. Conclusion: To help run the electrical distribution panel smoothly and efficiently, a circuit breaker is a far better choice than fuses. These advantages of circuit breakers have replaced fuses when it comes to electrical panel distribution systems’ protection and safety.
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