What device is used to reclose after a fault on a lateral?

• A. Fuse
• B. Recloser
• C. Transformer
• D. Circuit breaker

Answer: (B)

A recloser is designed to automatically clear a fault and then try to restore power by reclosing after a short delay. On a lateral, many faults are temporary (like a branch brushing the line or a minor fault that clears itself). The recloser interrupts current to clear the fault, waits briefly, and then closes again. If the fault is gone, service is restored; if it’s still present, the recloser trips again and isolates the section. Fuses blow and must be replaced, so they don’t recluse automatically. A transformer isn’t a protection device, it just changes voltage. A circuit breaker can reclose, but the standard device used for automatic reclosing on a lateral is the recloser.