Today in the departments of electrical goods you can purchase a variety of samples of circuit breakers. An interested buyer is offered not only cheap Chinese-made models, but also relatively expensive machines at a price of 500 rubles and more. According to the sellers, they differ in the quality of the materials used in the manufacture (plastic and structural elements), as well as in the reliability of assembly and operation. What does this mean in terms of their performance?
What is a "good" device for?
When operating electrical circuits, situations are not uncommon when, due to the large number of included devices, a current flows in them that exceeds the standard value (the so-called "overload"). On the other hand, in the same circuits, an accidental short-circuit of the phase conductor to the zero bus is not excluded, leading to a sharp increase in current. In the considered situation, called short circuit (short circuit), it begins to flow along the shortest path without entering the load.
Its value, due to the close-to-zero resistance of the closed section, increases to hundreds of amperes, which, as is known from physics, is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat.
Important!For a short period of time, the "overcurrent" flows along the entire electrical circuit located up to the point of formation of the short circuit.
It can be:
- Contacts of circuit breakers.
- Terminals and mechanisms of installation products.
- Desoldering and junction boxes.
The overcurrent flows until the protective device installed in the line disconnects the damaged section from the supply line. If this gap is too large (the inertia of the machine is large), the released energy is enough to destroy the circuit elements.
It is possible to prevent all these consequences if the machine is triggered almost instantly! In a very short time, the current simply does not have time to grow to a value at which its destructive effect is manifested.
What are the differences between "good" and "bad" machines
Reliability and speed of operation of protection are the main criteria when evaluating the model of the selected machine, which guarantees the safety of the wiring in any unforeseen situations. Only such a device (despite the fact that it costs a little more) is capable of almost instantly disconnecting a damaged or overloaded line from the supply network.
When buying a suitable model, you need to consult with sellers about such an important characteristic of the machine as its time-current indicator. It is also important to inquire about the manufacturer of the protective device as well as its reputation in the electrical market. After making sure that a relatively expensive product really meets all the requirements for it, you can safely pay for the purchase. Only in this case, the sums spent on it will not be wasted!