An ‘MCB’ (Miniature Circuit Breaker) primarily acts as a circuit breaker, protecting against overloads and short circuits. It is responsible for interrupting the current flow when it exceeds the rated capacity of the circuit – protecting the cabling or when a short circuit occurs. MCBs are commonly used in residential and commercial settings to protect individual circuits and appliances. They can be paired with an RCD where required, in a spilt-load consumer unit to combine overload, short circuit & earth leakage protection. Or simply fit an all-in-one ‘RCBO’ device which contains all of the above in one unit.
