There are actually 5 main types of electrical circuits: Close circuit, open circuit, short circuit, series circuit, and parallel circuit. Each type of circuit is designed to create a conductive path of current or electricity.

When correctly selected and applied, circuit breakers, fuses, and other protection components can help keep workers safe from injuries and machines from damage.

Type I: Automatic Reset Circuit Breakers Automatic means a breaker self-resets without help from the user. A type I circuit breaker will provide continuous protection until the overcurrent is found and corrected, then it automatically resets.

A tripped circuit breaker won’t reset itself, you will need to open up your electrical panel and look for a tripped breaker indicated with the actuator lever in the off or straight out position. A tripped circuit breaker will not always look tripped.

The use of automatic reset circuit breakers are convenient for an overloaded circuit but offer little long-term protection when a short-circuit condition is present. This would have prevented the auto-reset breaker from cycling on and off and eventually failing.

Fuses trip faster than a circuit breaker. Fuses are initially less expensive than circuit breakers. Because a fuse is replaced every time after an overcurrent trip, the same level of circuit protection performance is guaranteed. A circuit breaker can wear out if it trips too many times.

When the short stop breaker cools, the electrical contacts inside will re-connect, thereby automatically resetting the circuit breaker.

Set your DMM to measure 12-volts DC and place the test probes across the power resistor. You should read the full battery voltage, if you read “0 volts,” the CB is in the tripped position. If the CB is of the manually reset type, try resetting it. After resetting the breaker, you should read full battery voltage.

An auto reset automotive circuit breaker provides continued operation during an overcurrent condition in DC applications, and will continue to recycle until the source of the overcurrent is removed or corrected.

Type 3 Short Stop circuit breakers have a button on the end that will pop up when the breaker trips, and it must be manually pushed in to reset the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers can be protected from the elements through the use of circuit breaker boots.

This circuit breaker, once it trips, will have a lever that flips. To reset this type, you have to flip the lever back up into place. This lever may also have the word “RESET” molded into it.

Instructions

1. Turn off the light switches and unplug appliances in the room that has lost power.
2. Find your circuit breaker box and open the cover.
3. Locate the tripped breaker.
4. Reset the breaker by moving it to the full “off” position and then back to “on.” That may clear an overload and return power to the room.

Type II – Modified Reset Non-cycling, remains in open position while there is power to the circuit. Resets when ignition is turned off. Type II circuit breakers are typically used in applica- tions where fuse replacement is objectionable, such as power window, seat and sunroof circuits.

BS1361 type 1 fuses are used in household consumer units (fuse-box). BS1361 type 2 fuses are used as a house service cut-out main fuse and protect an entire house.

Type I Circuit Breakers – Automatic Reset, which means the circuit breaker keeps cycling on and off until the overload is removed. Type II Circuit Breakers – Modified Reset or Non Cycling, where the circuit breaker doesn’t reset until the overload is removed or the power is turned off.

Yes – try to push it further down – if it moves, it should “click” and then you can push it back up all the way to reset.

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.