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The safety devices does not close, but opens the circuit. Homes in the United States must have circuit current protection in order to meet building code requirements. They can use fuses or the push-in circuit breakers. In order for amperage to flow through them, they must be closed, which provides a continuous flow of current from the source to the load. If too much amperage passes through, the fuse blows or the circuit breaker opens, creating an open circuit that stops the flow of electricity.
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13y ago
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13y ago

fuses have a metal filiment that is designed to fail if the rated current is exceeded, circuit breakers use a electromagnet, the current from abrupt overloading or a short circuit will cause the mechanism to open the circuit, they also have a bi-metal mechanism which is more for a overload slightly above the breakers rating, if a load just over the rating persists the bimetal strip will open the circuit. there are also ground fault:gfci" and arc fault"afci" breakers. on top of a normal breakers duties, ground faults are generally used to protect from accidental electric shock in areas near water, arc fault breakers are relatively new and are designed to trip when there is a faulty switch, receptacle, cord, or appliance that could be a potential fire hazard

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9y ago

Fuses and circuit breakers do not protect a person from electrocution. They are in the circuit to protect the feeder conductors from having over current applied to them. The only type of breaker that will protect you from getting a shock is a GFCI.The way that fuses and breakers stop household fires is by opening the fault current on the circuit before the fault temperature can rise high enough to ignite any surrounding combustible materials.

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Q: Can home circuits have safety devices called fuses and circuit breakers that close a circuit when too much current passes through?
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Why are fuses and curcuit breakers used in household circuits?

Fuses and circuit breakers are used to protect the wiring and devices from overload and heating caused by short circuits, short circuits that, if unprotected, could cause major damage and/or fire due to excessive current.


A device that protects a circuit from current overload is called?

Fuses or circuit breakers are termed 'overcurrent protection devices', which protect circuits from either an overload current or a short-circuit current.


What devices are used to deliberately create an open circuit when the current exceeds a specific value?

fuses or circuit breakers


What do fuses and circuit breakers protect circuits from?

They protect the downstream components from spikes in the eletrical system.CommentFuses and circuit breakers do not protect against 'spikes', which are near-instantaneous voltage increases. Fuses and circuit breakers are overcurrent protection devices, which protect appliances against excessive current due to overloads or short circuits. CommentFuses and circuit breakers are used to protect the wire feeder that supplies the load. A load could be connected to a circuit that would cause an increase of amperage above what the wire is rated for. If this condition happens the fuse or circuit breaker will open the load from the supply service.


What circuit protector?

It is usually classed as a device that will open the circuit if the current in the circuit goes high. Two examples of these types of devices are fuses and circuit breakers.


Are Ground fault circuit interrupter GFCI devices available for use on 240 volt 480 volt and 600 volt circuits?

Yes, in the form of GFCI circuit breakers, not as a receptacle.


Is a circuit breaker better than a glass fuse?

Each device has its own special use. Glass fuses can protect circuit at very low amperages. They are usually used to protect printed circuit boards and control panel circuits. Breakers protect circuits from short circuits and overloads. These devices are used in service distribution panels to protect the wires that feed the loads. Circuit breakers can be from 15 amps up into the thousands of amps.


How do you build a series circuit in your home?

You do not build a series circuit in your home. The only series circuits are the circuits that go through circuit breakers, light switches, and relays. Electrical and electronic devices use internal series circuits but those are the only ones people build. No one builds series circuits for house wiring. Electrical outlets are connected with parallel wiring.


Is a circuit breaker an alternative fuses?

Circuit breakers do the same thing as fuses. They interrupt current flow when a certain preset point is reached. The difference between circuit breakers and fuses are that circuit breakers are resettable and reusable, whereas fuses are one time devices that must be replaced after they blow.


What is a device that protects an electric network by automatically opening a circuit when the current grows too strong?

Circuit breakers and fuses are both devices that protect an electric network byautomatically opening a circuit when the current exceeds a predetermined level.


What are 2 protective devices used to open a circuit?

The GSR plug is the newest device to perform this function. It becomes a mini circuit breaker for the circuit and is critical for high risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.The basic circuit breaker is another device. It opens the circuit when the amperage exceeds the rating of the breaker. It is a device that can be reset.The electrical fuse is the eldest of the devices. The disadvantage is that it must be replaced when the circuit is opened by overload.Circuit breakers and their cheap alternative, fuses, are used to disconnect the power if an excessive current flows.


What total current delivered to a number of devices connected in parallel is the sum of the individual currents in each device Circuit breakers are resettable automatic switches that protect against a?

Yes, the total current delivered to multiple devices in parallel is the sum of the individual branch currents (the vector sum if there is inductive load). Circuit breakers are resettable automatic switches that help protect against circuit overload (such as running too many hair driers and heaters on at one time) and faults (such as dropping the hair drier into a bathtub). Circuit breakers "operate" (or open) to stop current flow to the fault or overloaded circuit.