What is a Circuit Breaker Panel?

A circuit breaker is an electrical switch that automatically operates to detect an overload or short circuit which can be damaging to an electrical circuit. If such a condition occurs, the circuit breaker automatically trips itself, shutting off power to the circuit. Unlike fuses, which have to be replaced when such an occurrence happens, a circuit breaker merely has to be reset. A circuit breaker panel functions to divide electrical power to individual circuit breakers.

A circuit breaker serves a very important role in electrical wiring—it can help prevent electrical fires. In the event of an increased load or higher than normal electrical current, the breaker will trip and prevent power from going to that circuit. After the problem has been determined, the circuit breaker merely has to be reset rather than replaced, as is the case for a fuse. 

A circuit breaker panel contains all of the circuit breakers. Each circuit breaker is used for one circuit which can have multiple loads on it. Lights, stereos and televisions are all examples of loads that might be on a circuit and add up to form a maximum current load. If there is a short on one of the loads or there are too many loads on the circuit, the circuit breaker will trip and shut off power to the circuit.

The advantage of having several circuits in a home is that if something occurs to one circuit, the others can still function properly. Having multiple circuits prevents the problem similar to that of having one burned-out Christmas light impact all of the others. The circuit breaker panel acts as the control point for all of the circuits, allowing easy access to reset circuits or shut off those that need to be worked on.