Blog

Every home is unique and the same means multiple aspects of the same vary from one another. Which leads to unique needs for maintaining the electrical circuit at its optimal state. Not every home is supplied with a stable and steady supply of power. And these irregularities, even in minuscule levels can be detrimental to sensitive electrical and electronic equipment. Therefore, residential circuit breakers are essential for keeping a home happy. And choosing the same wisely is crucial for making sure the same remains happy under a wide diversity of circumstances.

Understanding Your Individual Needs

1. The Electrical Load of Your Home

Calculate Total Load: List all the appliances you have in your home and find out the total wattage load that your home requires. This helps with understanding the capacity that is required for your residential circuit breakers. Identify High-Load Areas: The focus should be on the circuits that are most prone to electrical consumption like the kitchen, laundry, and heating/cooling systems. The mentioned sections may need a circuit breaker that has a higher Amperage rating than the available one.

2. Understanding Circuit Breaker Types

Single-Pole Breakers: Used for normal 120-volt circuits, which can be used for most of the lighting systems and the outlets found in homes. Double-Pole Breakers: Specially for 240-volt circuits, recommended for use with big appliances such as ovens, dryers, air conditioners, and the like. Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI): Shields against electrical arcs which may result in fires, specified by code in many regions for bedroom circuitry. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI): Ground faults are needed for areas that get wet such as bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoor spaces.

3. Check Local Electrical Codes

Compliance: The circuit breakers you chose should meet the existing electrical codes in your area. Failure to meet these requirements may result in compromising the safety of the structure and other residents alongside legal implications. Updates: Pay attention to any update on codes that may demand particular kinds of breakers including AFCI or GFCI breakers in some areas.

4. Consider Future Expansion

Scalability: If you intend to incorporate more electricity-consuming appliances or circuits in the future, then the breaker panel should have the capacity for expansion. This helps to prevent major updates to the structures in the future. Smart Breakers: Think about smart circuit breakers that have a possibility of remote monitoring and control to be useful in the future if you plan home automation.

Selecting the right Circuit Breakers for the right Application

1. Amperage Rating

Match the Load: Make sure the circuit breaker is of the correct current rating that is appropriate to the load that will be protected by the circuit. When a breaker is overloaded, there may be recurrent tripping or even electrical fires. Standard Ratings: Common residential circuit breakers come in 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 amps. Consult a professional electrician to determine the appropriate rating for each circuit.

2. Brand and Compatibility

• Compatibility: Choose breakers that are compatible with your existing electrical panel. Not all brands are interchangeable, and using the wrong type can lead to safety hazards.
• Reputable Brands: Opt for well-known, reputable brands such as Eaton, Siemens, Square D, and GE. These brands offer reliable performance and have a wide range of products to suit various needs.

3. Breaker Type

• Standard Breakers: Suitable for most general-purpose circuits in the home.
• Specialty Breakers: Use AFCI and GFCI breakers in areas required by code for additional protection against specific electrical faults.
• Tandem Breakers: Ideal for panels with limited space, allowing two circuits to be protected by a single breaker slot.

4. Safety Features

• Trip Indicators: Some breakers come with trip indicators that show if the breaker has tripped due to an overload or short circuit. This can help in diagnosing electrical issues.
• Tamper-Resistant: Consider tamper-resistant breakers in homes with children to prevent accidental contact with live electrical parts.

5. Warranty and Support

• Warranty: Check the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Longer warranties are often a sign of confidence in the product’s reliability.
• Customer Support: Ensure the brand offers good customer support and technical assistance, which can be invaluable in case of installation issues or product defects.

The Essentiality of Choosing the Best Residential Circuit Breakers

Investing in high-quality residential circuit breakers is not just about complying with codes or avoiding nuisance trips. It’s about ensuring the long-term safety and efficiency of your home’s electrical system.

1. Preventing Electrical Fires

• Safety First: High-quality circuit breakers are designed to trip accurately and reliably, preventing overheating and potential electrical fires.
• Advanced Protection: AFCI and GFCI breakers provide advanced protection against specific types of electrical faults, significantly reducing the risk of fires and electric shocks.

2. Maintaining System Efficiency

• Stable Performance: Quality breakers ensure stable performance and minimize downtime caused by nuisance trips.
• Energy Savings: Efficient breakers help reduce energy waste by maintaining optimal electrical flow and preventing overloading.

3. Protecting Appliances

• Extended Lifespan: Properly functioning breakers protect your appliances from damage due to electrical surges and faults, extending their lifespan.
• Cost Savings: High-quality breakers can save you money in the long run by preventing damage to costly appliances.

4. Enhancing Home Value

• Modern Standards: A well-maintained, updated electrical system can increase your home’s market value. Potential buyers often look for homes with modern, safe electrical installations.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing that reliable circuit breakers protect your home’s electrical system provides peace of mind for you and your family.

Conclusion

Selecting the best residential circuit breakers for your electrical system is a critical step in ensuring safety, efficiency, and long-term reliability. By understanding your individual needs and carefully choosing the right breakers, you can protect your home and its occupants from electrical hazards. Remember, investing in high-quality circuit breakers is an investment in your home’s safety and your peace of mind. Trustworthy suppliers like RS Breakers offer a wide range of options and expert support to help you make the best choice for your home.

An Original Equipment Reseller, RS Breakers & Controls has superior technical expertise, a strong network of suppliers, and an unparalleled selection of electrical equipment. Our extensive inventory of bus plugs, panel boards and switches, MCC buckets, circuit breakers and so much more, makes us your leading source of new & vintage electrical apparatus. A Bit About Us RS Breakers & Controls was founded in 2006 by Rishi Sudan, who has been cleaning and selling breakers since he was 17 years old. Fueled by his expertise on vintage products, he quickly became the number one choice for contractors and purchasers. We can handle any project, large or small with 35,000 square feet of space in our warehouse, that houses an impressive 100,000 plus molded case breakers, panel switches, bus plugs, large frame air and insulated case breakers, and more. What We Do We are NOT your traditional Original Equipment Reseller. We are dedicated to doing what works best for you – not pressuring our customers to purchase new. RS Breakers & Controls is the industry’s leading source for “Like for Like” swaps, our go to instead of just replacing everything. Our state-of-the-art testing and reconditioning facility allows us to offer equipment that meets precise ANSI Accreditation Standards and a thorough testing report, ensuring your equipment is safe! Why We Stand Out At RS Breakers & Controls we are always available to you, with emergency services 24/7, 365 days a year. Our customer communication options include video chats to offer better and more convenient assessments of on-site equipment. We provide lightning speed shipping world-wide, so that you get what you need…when you need it! To top it all off, we also provide 2-year comprehensive warranty on our used-tested products.

RS Breakers & Controls is an electrical wholesaler specializing in new, used, and reconditioned products such as circuit breakers, insulated case breakers, bus plugs, panel switches, MCC buckets, and more! We see your emergency as our emergency. That’s why we have knowledgeable sales staff and technicians available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – to get you the products you need and eliminate costly downtime. Providing service that goes a step beyond matters to us. We provide support through your installation and test all products to ANSI and CSA standards. From coast to coast throughout North America, our logistics network has been developed to ship to you within hours. This means on a Friday night leading into a long weekend, we were fully prepared to help one of our customers. The customer called to say they suffered a major explosion in their electrical room, and their 200-amp molded case breaker had been melted! This stopped production and every minute they didn’t have a replacement component was costing them money. Because we are available 24-hours a day and have the ability to use video chatting, our knowledgeable technician was able to assist in identifying the Freedom 2100 bucket and deliver a solution… FAST. We provided the client with a replacement assembled from the same size buckets and correct stabs from our large selection of inventory. After utilizing our in-house testing for quality control, we were able to get the customer what they needed to get back up and running… on a long weekend! When production stops, hundreds of thousands of dollars can be lost. Trust RS Breakers & Controls to have the comprehensive inventory and experience you need. That’s the RS Difference in action.

At RS Breakers & Controls, we are capable of handling all sizes of emergencies. Our expertise means you should make us your first call when you need to get back up and running quickly. We are available twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year! Here’s just one example of how we helped a customer out in a crisis: A client called us with an FPE QMQB style panel board that was submerged under water for 48 hours. Unfortunately, this left the building out of commission, which meant the customer was losing money and had no visible solution within a reasonable time frame. They made the right decision and called us! RS Breakers & Controls was able to problem solve and quickly provide them with a cost-effective solution. We suggested an alternative, used-tested option instead of ordering in new parts, saving the client money and avoiding the hassle of running temporary diesel generators. Because of our years of experience with similar calls, we are experts in the parameters of the ANSI standards. This let us save this customer both time and money, because the existing board did not need to be replaced – but all the components did. With our massive inventory and in-house, state-of-the-art testing facility, we were able to rebuild, test, and ship out all the replacement switches needed. RS Breakers & Controls saved the customer many man hours of work, and eliminated a twelve week down time! That meant big savings for the tenants, building owner, and the insurance companies. Providing OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) parts, test reports, AND a two-year warranty, we got the customer up and running in a short amount of time…THAT’S the RS Difference!

While it might be tempting to import electrical equipment from other countries, RS Breakers & Controls is determined to keep ourselves and our customers purchasing Canadian electrical equipment. Here’s how buying in Canada can help your bottom line: No Delay in Supply Expanding your supply chain’s efficiency is much easier when you are shopping in the country. At RS Breakers & Controls, we have a massive on-site inventory with a diverse stock of new and vintage bus plugs, molded case circuit breakers, panel switches and more. Over 80% of our product is purchased from fellow Canadians in order to ensure high-quality standards and keep stimulating the Canadian economy. All of our products are stored in our Canadian warehouse in Mississauga, ON for quick access, this means we can ship the electrical parts within hours across North America, getting you the equipment, you need quickly in an emergency. We are available 24/7, so you are never alone in a crisis. Canadian Standards are Upheld Guidelines change from country to country, but RS upholds the highest Canadian standards – meaning you can trust every product. Ordering from an international entity can put your company and employees at risk, with vastly differing safety codes and ratings around the globe. At RS Breakers & Controls, our team is capable of identifying and confirming counterfeit products in order to help ensure Canadians are safe, and we ALWAYS provide test reports with any used equipment to show appropriate requirements have been met. At RS Breakers & Controls, we are dedicated to not only maint犀利士 aining but helping to set the standard for Canadian safety…That’s the RS Difference.