What is difference between Isolator and Circuit Breaker?

ISOLATOR AND CIRCUIT BREAKER differences

How many times do we have seen these big Main Circuit Boards and wondered how does this combination of switches work and affect our current connections at home and other places? An important component of a circuit is its switch, the switch acts as a gate which allows the movement of charges through the circuit. We are going to discuss isolators and circuit breakers in the upcoming paragraphs. Both are closely related to each other but still one can manage to draw a line between their working. They are as we have seen an important aspect of consideration whenever someone is laying a circuital connection in his/her workplace or home.

First, let us dive into the circuit breaker, it is a device rather a switch that is installed in a circuit in order to stop the flow of current whenever necessary. It can be operated manually as well as automatically for controlling and protecting the electrical system in which it is introduced. A circuit breaker in general disconnects the circuit in an on-load condition which means current passes through it during its working or switching. They trip the entire system whenever a fault occurs and hence affect the entire electrical system in one go. These are suitable for handling heavy load currents and are attached in devices like transformers etc.

Isolators, on the other hand, have the same functionality but are not preferred for heavy load currents. Isolators when turned on isolates the device from the main circuit and hence allows maintenance and repair work to be done on equipment safely. These come into the frame when we talk about switches in offload conditions. One thing is to ensure beforehand whenever we are using an isolator that the current flow through it is zero or within limits of safety. A demerit of the isolator is its low withstand capacity when compared to circuit breakers.

All in all, in conclusion, we can settle on grounds which suggest that even though Circuit breakers and Isolators have the same function but their application and installation is dependent on the electrical system which is to be used.