In almost every multi-storey residential building or private house, circuit breakers are constant attributes. They became an excellent replacement for electric plugs, which were in use back in Soviet times. However, such products have long sunk into oblivion. For this reason, many tenants are overcome by the question of which machines to put in the apartment.
To solve this seemingly difficult task, you should understand what this circuit breaker is in general, what functions it performs and how important its role is.
Functional purpose
In the understanding of many people, the task of the machine is to protect electrical appliances connected to the network from sometimes overloading. In reality, everything is so, however, this is only a small part and is rather a consequence of the operation of the device.
The main task lies much deeper - it is to protect the wiring from critical current values. If, in fact, then in case of exceeding the current value from the norm, the machine automatically disconnects those wires that are connected to the output terminals. At the same time, the response time of the device can be different, which is very important when choosing which machine to put on entry into the apartment.
For example, if the excess is negligible, then the blackout will occur after a certain period of time. But with a sharp power surge, which usually happens in the case of a short circuit, the machine works almost instantly. This protects the wiring from excessive heat and fire.
In appearance, such a device does not differ in complex design - a plastic case with terminals, on which there is a small size toggle switch for switching on or off.
Design Features
As mentioned above, in appearance , machines are represented by simple devices. However, inside they do not have such a simple filling as you might think.
To understand what kind of machines it is better to put in the apartment, you should dig a little deeper and see what exactly is hidden in the building. Almost all machines consist of:
- Platoon mechanism.
- Interrupter device.
- Switching device.
- Trip units.
Thanks to the platoon mechanism, you can manually turn on or off the machine.
The interrupter is a camera that performs an important function. When one of the releases trips, an electric arc will inevitably form, and the higher the current, the stronger the arc. And so that it does not cause serious damage to the elements of the machine, and there is a camera that extinguishes the arc. The resulting gases with high temperature are discharged from the arcing device through a special channel.
The switching mechanism is represented by a set of movable and fixed contacts.
To understand what kind of machine to put at the entrance to the apartment, you need to be well versed in the types of release. As a rule, most devices have two of them - bimetallic and electromagnetic. The first is the plate, which bends when too much heat and thereby disconnects the contacts. It is relevant for a small excess of current. The second is a solenoid with a spring-loaded core and a pin that abuts against the movable contact. Here we are talking about a much larger current and the electromagnetic release is activated very quickly.
Common mistakes
Often, many people make mistakes when choosing a device for their apartment. For example, some as the main criterion adhere to such a parameter as the total power of all available electrical appliances. And this is not true, since automatic machines perform only a protective function; it is not their task to change any characteristics.
When deciding what kind of machines to put in the apartment, you should not try to put a strong machine on weak wiring, because when you turn on a powerful electric device, the wires will not stand, and the device itself will not work. It is also not uncommon for identical circuit breakers to be placed on all power lines. In this case, one of the lines takes the main load.
The other most common mistake or even oversight is related to savings. Many buyers generally try to purchase a product at a lower cost. However, you need to value your safety!
To make the choice of the machine correct, you should follow simple rules. They are not so difficult to fulfill. In addition, you will not have to worry about your own safety.
Do not take anywhere!
What kind of machines should I put in the apartment? Only those that are sold in trusted retail outlets. And these are, as a rule, specialized stores where there is a guarantee that the goods are not fake. In no case should you buy automatic machines in any market where it is impossible to establish the quality of the goods. Suddenly he made a self-taught master ?!
In addition, the seller should inquire about the origin of the product and ask for relevant documents. As you know, Chinese products are not of high quality, and with regard to circuit breakers, their use can even endanger human life.
Time-tested quality
Do not trust little-known companies, it is better to give preference to well-known manufacturers. In this case, this may indicate a high quality that has been tested for years.
Of course, such products are more expensive than many analogues, but their reliability is also up to par. For every self-respecting company, reputation above all, in order to maintain it, you should fill the world market with only high-quality products and nothing else!
If, in the process of solving the problem, which machines to put in the apartment, the choice is still made for some model of dubious content, you should first familiarize yourself with the feedback from experienced consumers. Perhaps they can discourage from a dangerous undertaking and advise a good solution at the best price.
Appearance is not important
In the process of choosing a machine, in addition to appearance, it is worth going a little deeper. The most diverse models are presented on the modern market. Among them you can find single-pole or three - pole circuit breakers. As you might guess, the first devices are included in a single-phase electrical network. While the second - for a three-phase network.
Important characteristic
No less important is such a parameter as the overload current of the machine. Here one simple calculation should be made regarding a single-phase power supply network. For example, the wiring power is 10 kW. Then by dividing we get: 10000 W / 220 V = 45.5. When rounding down we get the desired value - 40 A.
In the case of a three-phase network, another formula works to determine what power the machines put in the apartment: I = P / U * 1.7, where:
- 1.7 is the square root of 3;
- P - power equal to 30 kW (30000 W);
- U - voltage (for a three-phase network it is 380 V);
- I is the current.
As a result of a simple calculation, taking into account rounding, we come to the same result - 40 A. Only this time the device should be three-pole.
Switch Categories
If you take into account the characteristic of the operation of the machine, then one of the varieties of such a device may come up:
- In 3-5 - suitable for wiring, which is used for lighting and sockets.
- C 5-10 - such machines protect the wiring through which the pulse current flows. As a rule, these are residential and office premises.
- D 10-20 - these devices are necessary when using consumers of high current of high impulsivity, which include pumps, transformers and hoists.
- By 8-15 - these machines will be reliable protection for electric motors and powerful transformers.
- Z 2-3 - suitable for all kinds of electronics.
If there is confusion about which machines to put in the apartment, then you should rely on a well-known fact. Of these categories, the automata B, C, and D are widely used. More on this below.
Another important parameter
Another important characteristic that you should pay attention to is the breaking ability. That is, after what current the machine still remains operational. It is worth considering that the current during a short circuit can reach a value of several thousand amperes.
According to GOST, an automatic machine with 6 kA or more should be placed on the entrance to the apartment. A line of at least 4.5 kA must be installed on the line through which the sockets and lighting are fed.
Calculation of the number of devices
In addition to the main characteristics of the devices, it is necessary to find out how much they need to be purchased. Any professional electrician will advise the following arrangement of machines in the electrical panel:
- to enter the apartment - 1 pc.;
- on the lighting line - 1 pc.;
- for consumers - 1 pc. for each powerful electrical appliance (washing machine, air heater, boiler and others).
After this question about which introductory machine to put in the apartment, should no longer arise.
In addition, depending on the manufacturer and product quality, each machine is designed for a certain number of operations. That is, when buying this should also be taken into account. And after the acquisition, you need to try to ensure that the device de-energizes the wiring as rarely as possible if necessary. And for this, you should not once again load the entire electrical network.
More details about automata B, C and D
Series B circuit breakers are relevant for general purpose networks, especially when it comes to selectivity protection. The electromagnetic release is activated if the current value is exceeded by 200%! And he does this almost instantly - 0.015 s. In a bimetallic plate, it takes from 4 to 5 seconds. Such automata are just good in those lines where there is absolutely no strong increase in current or in minimal limits.
A variation of the C series is even more common in everyday life due to the high degree of sensitivity. For the solenoid to work, it is necessary to exceed the current rating by 5-10 times. The thermal release, if necessary, starts to operate after 1.5 seconds. Due to this, such devices can be considered universal, which significantly expands the scope of their application up to use in industrial facilities.
If the varieties listed above were ideally suited to solve the question of which machines to put in the apartment, then category D devices are already on an industrial scale. These circuit breakers are characterized by higher overload capacity. That is, in this case, the excess of current from the norm by 10-14 times is not terrible. And the thermal release trips even in less time - 0.4 seconds. As a rule, such devices are ideal in cases where asynchronous motors are used. To provide reliable protection to industrial power grids, D-series machines are made in two types: three-pole and four-pole.
Of course, there is no need for your apartment to choose more complex and expensive industrial devices. For domestic use, this is a series B or a more advanced version of C.