Circuit breakers provide protection for electrical devices by restricting the amount of current flowing through them and helping prevent fires and electric shocks.
As there are multiple types of circuit breakers to purchase, selecting the appropriate one for you and your safety is of utmost importance. When making this choice, some factors should be kept in mind such as its ampere rating and whether or not it fits within your breaker panel.
Vaccum Circuit Breakers
Vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) use a vacuum chamber to quickly quell electrical arcs, making them more reliable and cost-efficient than other medium voltage circuit breakers such as oil, air blast and sulphur hexafluoride breakers. Circuit breaker for sale at surplusrecord Furthermore, their reduced maintenance requirements extend their lifespans making VCBs ideal for high-risk applications.
VCB circuit breakers are used in power grids to switch and protect high-voltage electric equipment from overcurrent or under-current, interrupting current during fault conditions, as well as being available in various sizes and ratings for easier selection for different applications.
Vacuum circuit breakers work on the principle that when their contacts open in a vacuum (often 10-5 to 10-7 Torr), they ionize metal vapors to generate an arc, quickly extinguished as metallic vapors, electrons, and ions released during arcing quickly condense over the contacts to increase dielectric strength, thus allowing them to close back off again.
Vacuum breakers differ from oil and air blast air circuit breakers in that they do not explode during use, providing operator safety. Furthermore, they operate quickly making them suitable for fault clearance. Furthermore, their durable design requires no lubrication allowing repeated usage without exhaust to the atmosphere and noise pollution issues.
Used Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers are an indispensable component of modern electrical systems, including those found in homes, offices and electric vehicle grids. They protect equipment against overcurrent, short circuits and fire by quickly cutting off power when there is an issue; available in various sizes and voltage ratings to meet various applications needs.
Single-pole breakers take up one slot in an electrical panel and can power lighting, receptacles, and appliances throughout your home. Generally they protect 15 and 20 amp circuits. Faulty breakers may cause an overload surge that causes metal contacts to separate and build heat – this automatically triggers the trip mechanism and stops current flow immediately.
If your circuit breaker panels need replacing, you can find new ones online or in local hardware stores. They’re made by major manufacturers and can be ordered using catalog numbers or part numbers that correspond with existing units in your panel. Amazon or eBay might offer them too; though you might find difficulty locating exactly the model you require.
If you are selling surplus circuit breakers, it’s essential that they go through an honest company that offers top dollar. Provide pictures and descriptions of the models you own to achieve maximum returns.
Surplus Circuit Breakers
An electrical project often has large budgets, and choosing the appropriate equipment is often key to its success or failure. Unfortunately, certain key components like circuit breakers can be expensive to acquire and take longer for delivery; buying surplus circuit breakers may help lower project costs significantly.
Wholesale stores that specialize in surplus circuit breakers offer competitive pricing and shorter lead times for delivery, along with technical assistance to help select the ideal breakers for your needs. They may also carry other electrical equipment and supplies.
Some manufacturers also produce their own line of circuit breakers, which makes the installation process much simpler. You can visit their website or contact them directly in order to identify which model and catalog number your system requires – making installation much simpler!
Molded Case Breakers (MCBs) are one of the most widely-used circuit breakers. Operating at low voltages and using magnetism, these breakers feature bimetallic strips which detect overcurrent, release mechanical latches when necessary and open/close automatically upon sensing overcurrent. Other features of an MCB include its actuator lever which allows manual trip or reset actions.
Circuit Breaker Parts
Circuit breakers are ubiquitous across electrical systems ranging from the home’s power grid, electric vehicle grids and wind turbine facilities. Their purpose is to automatically detect when current flow has exceeded their design limitations and shut down the circuit accordingly, protecting devices, appliances and systems from fire or overcurrent conditions.
Circuit breakers differ from fuses in that they do not rely on melting wire to stop electricity flow; rather, their bimetallic strip or electromagnet automatically opens its contacts to stop overcurrent.
Different circuit breakers feature various designs based on amperage, voltage and application requirements; however, all have five main parts or components in common: Operating mechanism – this toggle containing stored energy allows contacts to open when handle is in the off position and close when handle is switched back on; Operating mechanism also controls any switches for opening/closing handles when switched on/off position change occurs (with an on position handle opening/closing contact when handle pressed into ON position);
Contacts – metal elements which conduct current when touching, but break it when moved apart; trip unit – an internal mechanism designed to interrupt current flow when certain parameters are breached and stop its flow altogether when fault parameters are activated;
Rated short-circuit breaking current – the maximum current that the breaker can interrupt under specific conditions – typically exceeds that of single pole breakers due to increased forces applied during contact separation and recovery needs.