a Switch vs Circuit Breaker: Difference and Comparison

Switch and Circuit Breaker are electrically related terms that serve individual purposes.

But many times, questions and topics have been brought up about whether they can take each other’s places and provide the same service.

To distinguish they both have their own individual tasks, one needs to know about the Switch and Circuit Breaker first.

Key Takeaways

1. A switch is an electrical device used to control the current flow. In contrast, a circuit breaker is a safety device that protects electrical circuits from damage due to excess current.
2. A switch only controls the current flow and does not offer any protection against overloads, whereas a circuit breaker automatically shuts off the power supply when it detects excess current.
3. Switches control lighting, fans, and other electrical appliances, whereas circuit breakers protect the wiring and electrical devices in a building.

Switch vs Circuit Breaker

The difference between a Switch and a Circuit breaker is that switch allows someone to shut the power supply and turn it back on when required, whereas Circuit Breaker disconnects the electrical supply when it has too much voltage. Switches deal with low voltages and are manual, while Circuit Breakers deal with high voltages and are automatic but can also be used manually.

 An electrical switch is used to regulate the current that passes inside a circuit. It may be used to either stop or start the electricity flowing.

By establishing or eliminating an air insulation distance between two conductivity terminals, a switch controls the operation of remotely disconnecting or restoring electricity from an electrical source.

A circuit breaker is a device that protects a home or wiring closet’s entire circuit.

An electrical flow overflow may occur at any time, and if you don’t have anything in place to safeguard you from this unexpected rush of energy, you might land up with broken devices and other delicate electronics.

Comparison Table

Parameters Of Comparison	Switch	Circuit Breaker
Operation	Switches do not operate by themselves	Circuit Breakers operate by themselves.
Location	Switches enable people to turn off electricity to a specific location	Circuit breakers are basically instantaneous cutoff switches
Flow	Only the power flow must be broken by a switch.	Fault current must be broken by a circuit breaker.
Voltages	Switches do their operation at low voltage	Circuit Breaker works with many high voltages.
Working Condition	Switches work on normal conditions.	Circuit Breakers work on abnormal conditions.

What is a Switch?

The aim of an electrical switch is to regulate the current that passes inside a circuit. It may be used to either stop or start the electricity flowing.

By establishing or eliminating an air insulation distance between two conductivity terminals, a switch controls the operation of remotely disconnecting or restoring electricity from an electrical source.

Circuit breakers have two conditions that are represented by (1) and (0). 1 represents the condition of being turned on, while 0 represents the condition of being switched off.

The International Electrotechnical Commission has defined several symbols as global standards.

Switches regulate the supply of power via a circuit and recognize abnormalities in the active and neutral connections that can occur whenever the current flows through anything else (such as a person) and cause an electric shock.

The safeguard switch activates practically instantaneously, lowering the danger of electrical shocks by cutting off the power supply towards that circuit in under a millisecond.

Switches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with numerous sets of connections operated by the very same dial or actuator, with the connections operating simultaneously, sequentially, or alternately.

What Is A Circuit Breaker?

A circuit breaker is a device that protects a home or wiring closet’s entire circuit.

An electrical flow overflow may occur at any time, and if you don’t have anything in place to safeguard you from this unexpected rush of energy, you might land up with broken devices and other delicate electronics.

Circuit breakers are quite useful in averting such catastrophes. They will immediately stop or block an incoming electrical power surge before it does any harm.

The fuse is the most basic sort of circuit breaker. A fuse, throughout most people’s minds, is not the same as a circuit breaker.

That may have been true, but a fuse counts as a circuit breaker since it performs exactly what it says on the tin: it breaks a circuit. Fuses are still used today, however, they are becoming outdated.

Typical circuit breakers function primarily by electromagnetic theory. An intrinsic magnetic trip the circuit breaker when there is a sudden influx of electric energy.

Essentially, a circuit breaker is an automated off switch that activates when it senses problems (such as overheats, short circuits, and voltage drops) before they cause harm to the entire electrical circuit.

Circuit breakers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are intended to identify crucial reduced levels, whereas others are configured to catch overheating and high current spikes.

Also, there are heat circuit breakers and commercial circuit breakers. Circuit breakers might help you save a lot of money. It will spare you the trouble of having to undertake substantial circuit repairs.

Once it has tripped, you must locate the fault, which is a small issue in your circuit. After the restoration is complete, turn the circuit breaker back on to resume regular circuit operation.

If the problem isn’t fixed, the circuit breaker could fail repeatedly, but no damage will be caused.

Main Differences Between Switch and Circuit Breaker

1. Switches do not operate by themselves since they must be switched in or out manually, whereas circuit breakers trip off when particular criteria are met.
2. Switches enable people to turn off electricity to a specific location or piece of technology, whereas circuit breakers are much more preventative.
3. Switches normally work, whereas Circuit breakers are instantaneous cutoff switches with the singular objective of protecting electrical circuits from undue harm.
4. Only the power flow must be broken by a switch. A circuit breaker must break the fault current.
5. Switches do their operation at low voltages, whereas Circuit Breaker works with many high voltages.

References

1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1518439
2. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1308318

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023