Electric motor is among the most essential components of many modern equipment. They are used in household appliances, business operations, industrial applications, and others. Unfortunately, they are prone to being damaged. The main reason for this is electrical issues such as power surges, voltage fluctuations, and electrical noise.
This is where protective devices such as motor protection circuit breakers and fuses come into play.
Understanding Fuses
Fuses are devices that protect circuits from excessive levels of electrical current. They are made of metal wires and are intentionally placed in a circuit as a weak point such that they would be the first to melt when there is a high level of current, thereby breaking the circuit.
Understanding Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers are devices that automatically disconnect the circuit or electrical equipment from the power source whenever anomalies like overcurrent or short circuits are detected. Its purpose is to protect the system from the damages caused by excessive current. Once triggered, they can be easily reset and used again without any problem.
Motor protection circuit breakers
A motor protection circuit breaker (MPCB) is a specialized type of circuit breaker particularly meant to protect motors. A key difference between MPCB and other types of circuit breakers is that it can protect the motor against phase imbalance and phase loss – issues that are specific to motors.
Key reasons to choose circuit breaker instead of fuse
- Reliability
Circuit breakers work better than fuses due to several reasons. First, they have greater breaking capacity which is the maximum current it can interrupt without getting destroyed.
- Reusability
Fuses are meant to be sacrificed by placing them as weak points in a circuit. This means that once they have been used, they cannot be used again. Circuit breakers, on the other hand, can still be used as many times as needed.
- Cost Savings
Circuit breakers cost more than fuses, but they can save you more money in the long run. Aside from the fact that they are reusable, they are also safer which means you won’t have to lose money due to damages or accidents.
- Versatility
Circuit breakers have more capabilities than fuses. They can deal with both overload and short circuits while fuses can work for overload.
Many circuit breakers have selective tripping capability which means you can trip only a certain portion of the circuit while the rest remains operational.
You can even adjust the trip settings of some circuit breakers, allowing you to customize the protection level for specific circuits.
- Ease of troubleshooting
Figuring out which fuse has blown up is quite a hassle as it entails testing all fuses individually. With circuit breakers, you can easily detect which part of the system messed up simply by knowing which of the breakers flipped. This makes it easier to diagnose and troubleshoot system problems using circuit breakers.
- Safety
Circuit breakers have covering which protects them against dust, water, and other elements. They can handle higher amounts of electricity and can trip faster than fuses. Also, unlike fuses, circuit breakers can be tested to ensure good performance whenever needed.
It is very clear that circuit breakers are better than fuses in most ways. Circuit breaker has a higher upfront cost but it’s nothing compared to the amount of value and potential savings it can provide you in the long run.
An excellent choice for a circuit breaker is the TOSUNlux MP Motor Protection Circuit Breaker. It is mainly used for overload and short circuit protection of the motor in AC 50/60Hz, up to 660V, 0.1-80A power circuit, as a full-voltage starter to start and cut off the motor, under the AC3 load or for the overload, and short circuit protection of the circuit and power equipment in the power distribution network.
