Showerthought: I just read that a standard 20 amp circuit breaker can actually handle a short burst of over 100 amps for a fraction of a second before it trips. Found it in an old manufacturer spec sheet.

2 comments

2 Comments

That "short burst of over 100 amps" thing is wild. I always figured breakers were super strict and tripped right at their rating. This makes way more sense for handling motor startups and stuff.

patchen16d ago

But that delay could be a real fire hazard if something's actually wrong.