A Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect low-voltage electrical circuits from damage caused by excess current, overload, or short circuits.
1P (Single Pole) protects a single phase line, commonly used for standard 120V/230V single-phase circuits. 2P (Double Pole) protects two lines (phase and neutral or two phases), making it suitable for 240V equipment. 3P (Three Pole) is designed for three-phase power supply systems, widely applied in commercial and heavy industrial machinery.
Unlike a fuse, which operates once and must be replaced after melting, an MCB can be manually reset to restore normal operation once the electrical fault is cleared.
MCBs trip primarily due to circuit overload (too many electrical devices running simultaneously) or a short circuit (direct contact between hot and neutral wires).
Selection depends on the total current demand of the connected circuit, cable cross-sectional area, and the type of load (resistive or inductive). Always ensure the rated current of the MCB does not exceed the safe current-carrying capacity of your wiring.