Short Circuit: Understanding Causes, Prevention

What Is A Short Circuit?

A short circuit means when electricity diverges from the established route of an electric circuit at that time the electrical flows find a faster route as compared to establish in the electric wiring.

In general conditions the electricity circles back to the service point throughout the established wires of utility and circuit of wiring.

When abnormal conditions such as broken electric wiring and loosen wiring at a particular time electric current can be leaked inside the wiring.

When this thing happens the currents of electric tries to return to the ground with the use of a shorter route. However the route can pose certain types of risk, it can go through highly flammable material, thus generating a risk of electrical shock that is sometimes lethal.

Why electricity can go through a flammable material and a person’s bodies are that they represent a route of lesser resistance than an initial one in the circuit copper wiring.

When dealing with this loose wiring, broken wire, or faulty wiring the current will always go towards any pathway that offers the least resistance and that includes the bodies of the people who touch the switch.

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Causes of Electrical Short Circuit

The following are major causes of electrical short circuits,

1. Faulty connection of appliance electric wiring
2. Installation of faulty eclectic wiring
3. Loose electric wire connection

1. Faulty connection of appliance electric wiring

You can check the electric wiring in your home extensively at that time if you can find any problem with the electric wiring, when you plug an appliance into a wall receptacle, these issues will become circuit problems.

Observe the short circuit will appear power cords, within the plugs or appliance itself, that situation you have an electrician take a look at your appliances, especially the large electrical appliances such as a dishwasher, refrigerator, oven and many more.

2. Installation of faulty eclectic wiring

Loose electric wire and installation of old wire, damaged or faulty wire, hot wires can be directly touched with neutral ones, so that, the connection will check thoroughly, as it could a short circuit.

Also, pets such as rats, squirrels, and mice are a risk too, because they can gnaw on the circuit wiring and eventually expose the wire conduction and due to this high chances of short circuit can occur.

3. Loose electric wire connection

Loose electric wire connections or loose attachments are dangerous because they allow the neutral wires and hot to touch, which leads to a short circuit.

The electricity can pass with a resistance of minimal through wires that are tight to the terminal point. Whenever the contact is not tight then the resistance will increase directly which means also increases the heat. So that the loose electric wires can be insufficient for causing shock hazards and electrical fires.

How Can You Prevent An Electrical Short Circuit?

Do not use multiple sockets at the same time and also avoid overloading any one plug, if the plug gets overloaded then it leads to a fire or a short circuit.

An important point is to keep in mind that whenever you go outside for a staycation or long period of time and shift into another house at that time before you leave always check a fuse and breaker box.

Pay attention to the condition of the wire and box, when you see the wire is worn out or damaged of wire any damage to the rubber coating wire that protects the wire can actually break over time, causing the wire to be exposed.

This can be extremely dangerous and can result in fires so check the electrical wiring periodically to conforming they are in good working condition with no breakage and damage.

Whenever you purchase any electrical appliances and electrical gadgets always prefer the owner’s manuals before using them because this manual mention the appropriate load-carrying capacity of the gadgets and electrical appliances since overloading your gadgets which can respond to electrical short circuit.

Install Devices That Prevent Short Circuit

The installing following types of devices used to prevent the short circuit,

• Fuse
• Circuit Breaker
• Poly- Switch or Resettable Fuse
• RCCB or RCD
• Inrush Current Limiter
• Lightning Protector
• Metal Oxide Varistor
• Gas Discharge Tube
• ESD Protection
• Surge Protection Device

Here above-enlisted devices are explained in brief,

1. Fuse

The Fuse is an electrical device used for protecting the electric circuit from over-current, that fuse consists of a metal strip that liquefies. When the current flow is high at those times fuses are important electric devices.

In the local market, different types of fuses are available but you can purchase them according to your specific usage of voltage, rating of current, response time, braking capacity, and application system.

2. Circuit Breaker

An electric circuit breaker is one type of electric switch that is used to guard a circuit against a short circuit otherwise an overload is responsible for an excess supply of current.

The main aim of installing a circuit breaker is to stop the flow of current once faults have occurred, and also circuit breakers are available in verities of sizes from small devices to large switch gear that is used for protecting a low current circuit as well as the high voltage of circuits.

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3. Poly Switch or Resettable Fuse

Resettable fuses are a passive type of electronic component that is used to protect electronic circuits from overcurrent problems and this protection device is also called a Poly fuse or multi fuse and poly switch.

The Resettable fuses are also used for power supplies in nuclear applications, aerospace applications, and computers where a substitution is not easy.

4. RCCB OR RCD

The full form of RCD is a residual current device and RCCB is a Residual current circuit breaker is one type of safety device that notice a problem in your home power supply and then turns off into a 10 to 15 millisecond to stop electric shock.

This residual current device does not give complete safety against an electric short circuit or overload in the circuit, so we cannot change the fuse instead of Residual Current Device (RCD).

5. Inrush Current Limiter

Inrush Current limiter is one type of electrical component used to stop inrush current to avoid severe damage to apparatus and blowing fuse.

An example of an inrush current limiter device is a fixed resistor as well as an NTC Thermostat and they give a high resistance firstly that stops huge currents from flowing by turning on.

6. Lightning Protection

This Lightning protection consists of a metal oxide varistor (MOV) and works as a discharge tube.

7. Metal Oxide Varistor

A Voltage dependent resistor (VDR) is an electronic component and the resistance depends on the voltage, and another term varistors have been taken from the variable resistor and the Origin of an electrical flow can comprise the electrostatic discharges as well as lightning strikes.

8. Gas Discharge Tube

The gas discharge tube or gas-filled tube is a collection of electrodes in gas inside a temperature-resistant insulating envelope.

The expulsion lamps are electrical devices that is uses gas-filled tube-like metal halide lamps, fluorescent lamps, sodium vapor lamps, and neon lights.

These tubes are namely thyratron ignitrons and krytrons are used as switching devices in different devices of electrical and the required amount of voltage to begin and maintain the discharge reliant on the force, the composition of the gas fill, and geometry of the tube and the cover is generally made of glass material and glass wrinkled metal.

9. ESD Protection

The full form of ESD Protection is an electrical circuit that is used for avoiding a breakdown of an electric device and gadgets and also utilized for changing Zener diodes varistors as well as suppressors.

10. Surge Protection Device

This Surge protection Device is one type of component that is used for electric fitting security systems, also the SPD devices are allied in parallel in the supply circuit power and they can be used for all stages of the power supply system.

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