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The purpose of a circuit breaker is to open the circuit in the event of an overload. Wires/conductors are only rated for a specific Amperage. If this amperage is exceeded the conductor/wire begins to heat up and given enough time it becomes a fire hazard.

For instance a 15 amp breaker will trip once the Amps drawn through that circuit exceed 15 amps.

The short answer is to keep you safe.

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14y ago

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