page_title: Circuit breaker
section_title: Other breakers
hierarchical_section_title: Circuit breaker / Other breakers
caption_attribution_description: English: ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) RCBO (residual current circuit breaker with overload protection) Deutsch: ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) RCBO (Fehlerstromschutzschalter mit Leitungsschutzschalter) Nederlands: ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) Aardlekautomaat (aardlekschakelaar met overstroombeveiliging)
context_page_description: A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset to resume normal operation.
  Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect low-current circuits or individual household appliance, up to large switchgear designed to protect high voltage circuits feeding an entire city. The generic function of a circuit breaker, or fuse, as an automatic means of removing power from a faulty system is often abbreviated as OCPD.
context_section_description: The following types are described in separate articles.
  Breakers for protections against earth faults too small to trip an over-current device:
  Residual-current device (RCD), or residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB) — detects current imbalance, but does not provide over-current protection. In the United States and Canada, these are called ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI).
  Residual-current circuit breaker with overcurrent protection (RCBO) — combines the functions of a RCD and a MCB in one package. In the United States and Canada, these are called GFCI breakers.
  Earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) — This detects current in the earth wire directly rather than detecting imbalance. They are no longer seen in new installations as they cannot detect any dangerous condition where the current is returning to earth by another route - such as via a person on the ground or via plumbing. (also called VOELCB in the UK).
  Recloser — A type of circuit breaker that closes automatically after a delay. These are used on overhead electric power distribution systems, to prevent short duration faults from causing sustained outages.
  Polyswitch (polyfuse) — A small device commonly described as an automatically resetting fuse rather than a circuit breaker.
caption: Residual current circuit breaker with overload protection
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