Power transmitted by a household power supply is not endless. With too strong load, the heating of the conductors and connections increases sharply, which can lead to damage to the network and even fires. To protect against such troubles, it is convenient to use various fuses. In particular, circuit breakers.
Automatic “traffic jams” came to replace disposable, with swimming fuses. During overloading on the network or short circuit, the fuse was melted and was subject to replacement. Automatic threaded fuse is designed for reusable use, more beneficial and convenient in operation. Threaded switches began to be called traffic jams due to the cylindrical shape of their housing, on the one side of which there is a base with an E27 thread, and on the other, in the case of a circuit breaker – two buttons of different sizes. They serve as indicators of the condition of the switch.
When a large button is pressed, the fuse is in working condition. When an overload or short circuit occurs, the automatic mechanism of the device opens the electric circuit and pushes the button. The network is open, there is no current, you can eliminate damage.
After that, with one pressing a large button, the automatic threaded switch is brought to the operating position. If the problem is not solved, the button is not fixed in a state and will pop up again.
A small button is used to turn off the fuse manually. Most often, circuit breakers are designed to work in a household network with a voltage of 220 V. Due to the voltage fluctuation, the rated voltage of these devices reaches 230 or 250 V. Nominal current is the most important parameter when choosing a switch. When this indicator exceeds this indicator, the device will open the circuit. For houses with old wiring, not designed for high power of connected devices, it is recommended to use switches with a rated current of 10 A. In newer buildings, or after repairing home wiring, you can apply “traffic jams” more powerful.
To determine the maximum current in your network, pay attention to the material and section of the wires in the apartment. An aluminum wire with a section of 1.5 mm is a true reason to put the switches for 10 A, the section 2.5 mm, allows you to use devices at 16 A. Copper wiring provides a higher maximum current limit. The wire with a section of 1.5 mm will allow you to install traffic jams at 16 A, and the section 2.5 mm – by 25 A.
