Switcheable Circuit Breaker
- Thread starter sirbph
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barbeer
Senior Member
- Location
- Pinellas County, FL
To most of us I believe switchable refers to adjusting amperage. I know you are asking about breakers having a switch rating (stated SWD). To my knowledge there are no such animals, but maybe a heavy duty rated breaker is capable of being used as such. Best to contact manuf. of your gear and verify specs with them.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
SWD is a rating given to 15 and 20A single pole circuit breakers (277V max), these breakers have passed the same life and ratings test as a general light switch. SWD is for tungsten and fluorescent loads.
HID is a rating given to larger ampacitiy and multi-pole breakers that have passed the tests for switching fluorescent and HID ballasts.
HID is a rating given to larger ampacitiy and multi-pole breakers that have passed the tests for switching fluorescent and HID ballasts.
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
I recently learned that the old SWD and HACR design standards have been rolled into UL489 as standard for all breakers now, so anything manufactured since (maybe) 2002 will be designed this way. But to use it for switching, they still must actually bear the label, so be careful. Breakers over 20A will not have that label.
The HID breakers are built to handle the increased heat from extra current encountered during the strike period. But HID breakers can be used the same as SWD for any other load and go up to 50A.
The HID breakers are built to handle the increased heat from extra current encountered during the strike period. But HID breakers can be used the same as SWD for any other load and go up to 50A.
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