Brochure

PowerPact H-, J-, and L-Frame Circuit Breakers

Circuit Breakers

02/2016

Handle Position Indication

The circuit breaker handle can assume any of three positions, ON, tripped or OFF as shown. The

center tripped position provides positive visual indication that the circuit breaker has tripped.

The circuit breaker can be reset by first pushing the handle to the extreme “OFF” position. Power can

then be restored to the load by pushing the handle to the “ON” position.

Circuit Breaker Ratings

The interrupting rating is the highest current at rated voltage the circuit breaker is designed to safely

interrupt under standard test conditions. Circuit breakers must be selected with interrupting ratings equal

to or greater than the available short-circuit current at the point where the circuit breaker is applied to the

system (unless it is a branch device in a series rated combination). Interrupting ratings are shown on

Table 11: Circuit Breakers on page 21 and on the faceplate label on the front of the circuit breaker.

Reverse Feeding of Circuit Breakers

The standard unit-mount H-, J-, and L-frame circuit breakers have sealed trip units and may be reverse

fed. See Tables 18, 19, and 32 through 40 for catalog numbers.

Circuit breakers with field-interchangeable trip units (designated by the suffix T and labeled “LINE” and

“LOAD”) cannot be reverse fed. Neither can circuit breaker frames without terminations or trip units.

Current-Limiting

The current-limiting attributes of PowerPact H-, J-, and L-frame circuit breakers provide greater

protection for downstream devices by limiting the let-through current in the event of a fault. The

current-limiting capabilities of HJ/HL/HR, JJ/JL/JR, and LJ/LL/LR frame circuit breakers are

documented with Underwriters Laboratories and Canadian Standards Association. These current-

limiting circuit breakers ship with a label that identifies them as UL/CSA Current-Limiting Circuit

Breakers. (The HD/HG, JD/JG, and LD/LG circuit breakers do not carry the UL Current-Limiting label).

The trip curves with let-through data are available in the trip curve section in this catalog.

Please note that as let-through curves for UL Listed/CSA Certified Current-Limiting Circuit Breakers,

these curves are maximum let-through values.

100% Rated

Some models of the H-, J-, and L-frame circuit breakers are UL Listed/CSA Certified to be applied at

up to 100% of their current rating. Because of the additional heat generated, the use of specially-

designed enclosures on H- and J-frame circuit breakers and 194°F (90°C) rated wire is required when

applying circuit breakers at 100% of continuous current rating. (H-, J-, and L-frame circuit breakers can

use aluminum or copper lugs.) Markings on the circuit breaker indicate the minimum enclosure size

and ventilation required. The 194°F (90°C) wire must be sized according to the ampacities of the

167°F (75°C) wire column in the NEC. Circuit breakers with 100% rating can also be used in

applications requiring only standard (80%) continuous loading.

Tripped

OFF