A switchboard, also known as a residential circuit breaker box, divides the electrical circuit of a household into separate circuits with their own switches. Older switchboards use fuses, while modern ones use circuit breaker switches. Bypassing fuses is dangerous and most US mortgage lenders require circuit breakers. Each breaker or fuse is labeled in amps and multiplied by voltage to produce watts. Heavier gauge wiring is used for high capacity appliances like electric ranges and water heaters.
A switchboard is a box of switches installed on the home side of the electricity meter. In the United States, this device is commonly referred to as a residential circuit breaker box. A switchboard is intended to serve a single household with two-phase wiring. Before circuit breakers, the box used fuses and was often called a “fuse box”.
The electrical circuit of the house is divided into separate circuits by a consumption unit. Each circuit has its own switch, which is rated based on the load capacity of the circuit. If this capacity is exceeded, the breaker switch moves to the “off” position. To put a switched circuit back into use, simply turn it back “on”.
If the switchboard is old and still uses fuses, the fuse will blow when the load capacity is exceeded. Instead of flipping a switch, a fuse needs to be replaced to restore power. All modern circuits use circuit breaker switches rather than fuses because they are safer and easier for the homeowner to operate.
The nuisance caused by blown fuses has led some people to bypass them by placing a copper penny behind the fuse, then screwing it in. Bypassing the fuse is a very dangerous practice and is part of the reason why most US mortgage lenders won’t lend if the switchboard still uses fuses instead of circuit breakers. The purpose of the electrical panel is to protect your home from overloaded circuits that could lead to a house fire.
Each breaker or fuse in the consumer unit will be labeled in amps. The amplifier rating is multiplied by the voltage to produce watts. The standard voltage in the United States is 110 volts, while most of the rest of the world uses 220 volts. A 20 amp breaker would carry 2200 watts in the US and 4400 watts where 220 volts is standard. To avoid the nuisance of flipped breakers, a homeowner should make sure that the total wattage of anything that needs to run on that circuit is less than the circuit’s load capacity.
Some circuits are wired with heavier, higher capacity wire to carry more electricity. Electric ranges, dishwashers, clothes dryers and water heaters are usually on a circuit dedicated solely to that use and have higher capacity wiring and switches. Heavier gauge wiring isn’t used throughout the home because it’s more expensive and is beyond the needs of most fixtures.
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