What Do They Do?
Circuit breakers shut off power until it can be fixed. This usually occurs when the current gets too strong in the wires and they overheat. The circuit breaker opens up the circuit to keep the electricity from flowing and the wires to continue to heat up. Therefore, it would be very unwise to have electricity in a house without them. They prevent fires and keep people out of harm’s way.
How Do They Work?
Electricity ultimately comes from a power plant and then to your house. Once it’s there, it enters a big circuit that includes smaller circuits that delivers that power to the outlets, lights, appliances, etc. in your home. When it gets to an appliance, the power builds and that overload makes it work. The electricity is delivered to the appliance by the “hot” wire, is then used by the appliance which resists and regulates it, if you will, and finally goes on to the neutral wire which leads to the ground wire (which goes to the earth). There are times something will happen and the hot wire will just be connected to the neutral (and thus directly to the ground because the neutral is connected to the ground), causing the circuit to overheat. This could happen because something melts or goes out on an appliance, someone accidentally drives a nail into a wire, etc. This can be very dangerous. When that happens, the circuit breaker steps in and eliminates the problem.
What Are Circuit Breakers?
When the wires overheat, it means there’s a high voltage in them. The circuit is usually closed so that the electricity can flow freely and continually through the wires. During a time of high voltage, however, a circuit breaker opens the circuit to break it to keep the energy from flowing to a specific area and destroying the wires. This is done with either a circuit breaker, as mentioned before, or with a fuse. A fuse is a little cylinder with a metal bar in it that is designed to break when overloaded with electricity. Therefore, when the voltage is too high, the fuse blows out, opening the circuit. The only issue with these is that you have to find and replace it every time. Circuit breakers are reusable. They’re basically a switch and are made of either a bimetallic strip or an electromagnet. The electricity running through it creates magnetism—the more electricity runs through, the greater the magnetic pull is. At a point, the pull gets so great that it can pull down a lever that disables a switch linkage and opens the circuit. This causes the electricity to be turned off. Think that’s cool? Guess what? There’s even more complicated circuit breakers that use electronic components (semiconductor devices). These are obviously more precise and safe, which means they’re also more expensive. Because of this, most homes still use standard circuit breakers.
How Do I Fix a Tripped Circuit Breaker?
(Remember that if you feel uncomfortable at any time with doing this, you can always call an electrician—our number [Utah Electrician] is 801-451-0111.)
- Unplug all the appliances in the room where the power is out, especially if you just added a new one to the room (such as a vacuum). Since the power shut off right after you plugged it in, it very well could be the issue.
- Find your electrical panel. They’re usually in a closet, the basement, or a utility room.
- Make sure your hands are completely dry and that you’re standing on dry ground.
- Look through the breakers. You’re trying to find one that is either moved to “off” or halfway between “off” and “on.” Once you’ve found it, move it all the way to “off,” and then back to “on.”
- If you have a fuse instead of a circuit breaker, look for the one that’s broken or discolored (it’ll be purple or brown). Remove it and take it to the hardware store where you can find the same exact type to replace it with.
- Go back to the room you were in and plug a couple appliances in to make sure everything is working properly. If it’s still not working, it may just bee that you have too much plugged in and may need to move some appliances around. If you’re still having issues, it’s probably an indicator of a bigger problem and you should call an electrician.