What is a Circuit Breaker?

It's easy to confuse a circuit breaker with a fuse. Fuses are most commonly found in older buildings and can be tripped only once. They cannot be reset. A fuse has no reset switch, you must pull it out and install a replacement. A circuit breaker has an on and off switch and is made to be used again and again. Simply reset the switch when the breaker is tripped. Circuit breakers should not be confused with the breaker box where they can be accessed. When the power goes out in the home and you need to reset the breakers, you may need to go into the basement or to the appropriate place in the home where the breaker box is located, open the box and find the tripped switch. You may have several breaker boxes in the home if there are sub panels installed. If you don't find a tripped breaker in the main box, you may need to investigate the sub panel installed next to the main box or elsewhere in the home.