16A circuit breaker - what kind of load it can withstand

The existence of modern man is no longer possible without electricity. Each house, apartment, production facility is equipped with different equipment. The owners of premises rarely think about how much electricity is consumed in general - the calculation is carried out only during the initial installation of the electrical wiring. But if the mains voltage is exceeded, a short circuit and a mains failure will occur. To prevent such situations, a circuit breaker is used. For domestic needs, this is a 16 amp automatic machine.

Modular automatic machine C16

The device is designed to protect power supply networks and connected equipment from overloads, failures, voltage surges. The 16A machine can be purchased at any electrical store, the prices are different - they depend on the main characteristics of the device, the number of working poles, and the manufacturer's recognition. The main cost indicator is the value of the breaking capacity of the apparatus and its switching value.

The C16 machine is called modular, due to certain qualities. Each of the poles of the device is presented as a separate module of a standard sample, that is, multipolar devices are made from several separate single blocks (modules). Accordingly, such a 16 amp automatic machine has a different body structure and assembly format. For example, in a cast box, the device is presented as a single monolithic device - it will not be possible to disassemble it, unlike other models.

General characteristics of the C16 circuit breaker and marking

Difautomat 16A, regardless of the number of working poles, is determined by several general characteristics. You can find out what indicators the device has from the marking. Designations are applied to the product body in the following order:

1. rated current;
2. time-current limitations, within which the mechanism is triggered;
3. rated breaking capacity;
4. current limiting class of the model.

According to the specified data, the power in kW of the C16 machine, performance, speed and other parameters are determined.

Rated current

You can find out the conditional value of the transmission current of the machine 16A from the name of the device - 16 Amperes. This means that the mechanism will continue to work without interruption until the strength of the passing current exceeds 16A.

An equally important criterion is the ambient temperature. For normal operation, it should not be higher than 30 ° Celsius. Otherwise, the machine will shut down at a lower voltage. If the air is cold, the nominal value, on the contrary, will increase.

Switching or breaking capacity

This characteristic allows you to understand at what short-circuit strength the 16A single-pole and multi-pole circuit breaker will trip. When disconnected, the device must remain functional - when switched to the initial position, the device can be used again. The permissible current strength is marked in a rectangular frame on the body of the mechanism. On production models, it is sometimes left without a frame and placed separately.

The designation consists of several numbers and the letter "A". for household needs, devices of the 4500 or 6000 A class are suitable. For industrial needs, more powerful ones are used.The higher the value, the higher the product price and reliability.

Current limiting class

This characteristic of the differential machine 16A shows the time during which the arc is extinguished in full. There are three classes of current limiting circuit breakers. The third class shows that the arc is extinguished in 3-5 milliseconds. In turn, in the second class, the arc is extinguished in 5-10 milliseconds. There are no restrictions on the first class; blanking occurs in 10 milliseconds or more.

The designation is located on the body - a square-shaped frame, inside the number 2 or 3. It is usually located under the marking of the switching capacity of the mechanism or next to it (depending on the model). If there are no marks, then the machine is 16A of the first class of current limitation.

Time-current characteristics

Each 16A circuit breaker has two different releases - a metal plate (thermal version) and a current limit relay (electromagnetic version). Thanks to these elements, the electrical circuit is broken. The first is intended for situations in which the power supply load is exceeded. The second is in case of short circuits. If the opposite happens, then the C16 circuit breaker was selected incorrectly. It is required to re-evaluate the power of the electrical network and the capabilities of the device to prevent emergencies.

The time-current characteristics are the ratio of the current and the time at which the automatic disconnection and disconnection of the circuit occurs. It is marked in the name of the device with the letter "C" (in this case, before the number 16).

The greater the passing current, the higher the load of the machine by 16A. Excessive values ​​lead to damage to cables, wires, electrical components. Therefore, the task of such machines is to disconnect from the power supply circuit until the power exceeds the permissible limit and damage the equipment (in most cases, irreversibly).

The time-current characteristics of the thermal release for the C16 difavtomat are in the range from 1.13 to 1.45 In. When a current equal to 1.13 of the nominal passes through the thermal release of the C16 circuit breaker, it turns off in an hour or more. During the passage of the current 1.45 of the nominal, it will turn off - in less than 60 minutes.

With an increase in current strength by more than 23.2 Amperes, the shutdown time of the machine will decrease. If the current strength reaches values ​​sufficient to turn off the electromagnetic release, this release will turn off the machine.

For an electromagnetic contact, a special rule applies - a shutdown occurs when the power of electricity passing through the machine increases 5 times at a time (for example, a voltage drop). Time - slightly more than 0.1 sec. If the jump is reflected in the excess of the passing current by 10 times, the machine will work faster than 0.1 sec.

Cable cross-section for the C16 machine

The size of the wire diameter for the C16 machine depends on what power it is designed for and the set time-current characteristics. For example, if the device passes 18 Amperes within an hour, the cross section should not be less than 0.25 centimeters squared. The material is copper. If aluminum is used, cables with a larger cross-section must be taken at the same load. In poor conditions, such a wire can withstand up to 25 Amperes.

The conductivity of the cable and compatibility with a single-pole or multi-pole 16A circuit breaker depends on the number of cores, the insulating pad and the conditions in which the wire is laid and operated.

A current of 23.2 Amperes can flow through the c16 machine for an hour. Such a current, under unfavorable circumstances, approaches the limit, which is dangerous for a copper conductor with a cross-section of 2.5 mm². This is harmful to the cable. However, the conductor will be able to withstand such a current for a short time. Such an increase in current should not be a frequent occurrence.

It is not necessary to overload the machine and the cable by connecting too much load, otherwise the cable will quickly come out of its operable position from constant overheating.

Other characteristics

Individual parameters change depending on the number of phases of the conductive circuit and wiring - the limit voltage and power of the transmitted load. For a single-phase network, where single-pole or double-pole C16 circuit breakers are used, the characteristics have certain values. For a three-phase network, where three-pole or four-pole C16 circuit breakers are used, these characteristics will be different. The equipment connection diagram is also changing.

Single-pole and double-pole devices are used in single-phase power networks. Three-pole and four-pole - in three-phase. Sometimes two-pole are used in two-phase networks. In everyday life, they are usually absent. An exception may be the ungrounded outputs of the single-phase generator and isolation transformer.

Single-pole and three-pole machines disconnect the phase conductors, and leave the zero one intact. Two-pole and four-pole circuit breakers open both phase and neutral conductors at the same time.

There are two types of two-pole machines - 2p and 1p + n. Two-pole 2p automatic machines consist of two identical single-pole devices connected mechanically. In this case, both poles are protected.

Two-pole 1p + n consist of a single-pole mechanism and a single-pole switch, also mechanically connected, that is, the pole that opens the neutral conductor does not contain automatic releases, but only a mechanism that opens the contacts. Microcontacts are separated using a mechanical drive when the circuit breaker that opens the phase conductor is turned off, and the n pole is not protected.

Four-pole devices 4p consist of four full-fledged single-phase machines 16A, and devices 3p + n - of three single-pole and the same switch.

Where the C16 machine gun is used

For domestic use, the device is suitable as an input device installed in front of the meter. In this case, the number of poles depends on the number of phases and requirements, which are developed by the managing energy organization.

For individual electrical devices, it is permissible to install machines on one pole.

It is necessary to take into account how many kilowatts a 16-amp machine holds and how much the device consumes. It is better to choose protection with indicators higher than that of the equipment.

Connection diagram

According to the PUE, the supply conductor is connected to a fixed microcontact. This means connecting from above (there may be exceptions). You need to look at the wiring diagram located on the device case. The designations are as follows:

• symbol 1 in the diagram shows where the input of the first phase conductor is connected;
• 2 - shows the output of the first phase conductor;
• 3 - entrance;
• 4 - exit from a two-pole device;
• 5 - entrance;
• 6 - three-pole exit;
• 7 - entrance;
• 8 - four-pole output.

If, in addition to numbers on the diagram and contacts, there is a letter designationN, the neutral conductor is connected here. When there is no such symbol, zero is connected to the terminals indicated by the maximum numbers. If the phase conductors are connected from above, then zero too. If the phase conductors are connected from below, zero, respectively, also from below.

The c16 machine is very rarely used in everyday life as an introductory one. There are similar requirements from power supply companies. When connecting, it is impossible to observe selectivity, even with a thermal release, which means that in any emergency situation, the input circuit breaker or both at once will turn off.

Manufacturing companies

The modular automatic machine of foreign brands of the household series meets the standards for automatic machines in everyday life. But industrial ones are of better quality, more reliable and more convenient for installation. The most famous are:

• foreign - ABB, Schneider Electric, Legrand;
• Russian - KEAZ, IEK, EKF.

The modular devices of domestic firms are made in China, although this is not a sign of their unreliability. The quality is slightly worse than the domestic series of foreign manufacturers. They are cheaper. Also meet the standards for household machines. Usually they do not have series similar to the industrial complexes of foreign companies.

RCDs and accessories

You should not consider the machine separately from other components of the electrical panel. When buying a device, you need to understand that it will be mounted together with an RCD. It is better to use an RCD from one manufacturer with a machine and from the same series. At the same time, you can be sure of the best possible interaction between them.

RCDs of domestic manufacturers are inferior in quality to foreign ones. Often they do not have electromechanical RCDs in the series, but they have less variety in characteristics.

There are many different parameters to consider when deciding which machine to install. The S16 machine gun is one of the most commonly used in everyday life. Power will protect equipment, a small number of standard devices.