Circuit breakers and fuses are both very important components of electrical systems, they both fulfil the role of preventing overloads in electrical circuits and they are both available in many different sizes and types, but they are not the same. Here are some important things that you should know about the differences about these two small, but critical components:
- The type of protection and function provided – while fuses provide protection only from power overloads, through both detection and interruption, circuit breakers provide protection against overloads as well as against short circuits, through interruption only. Whenever an electrical system that uses fuses breaks down, the fuses will blow and cuts the electrical supply; circuit breakers do not blow, they only trip;
- Mode of operation – fuses work only manually, while circuit breakers are suitable for manual as well as for automatic operation;
- Reusability – while fuses cannot be used after an electrical fault, circuit breakers can be reset after they trip and they don’t need to be replaced;
- Costs – fuses are very cheap, while circuit breakers can be quite expensive, therefore the electrical systems that use fuses can be significantly cheaper than the systems that are equipped with circuit breakers. For the best solution look to https://jmelectricinc.com/centennial-electrician.