The short circuit is a fault that occurs abruptly and can trip the circuit or also cause fire and sparks. Normally short circuits are seen in older types of wiring or new electrical systems. It is difficult to solve these faults and requires certain factors. In this we will cover details for short circuits and learn how to fix and solve faults. So let’s get started.
What is an electrical short circuit?
- A short circuit is a circuit that helps current to move over a path that has low or zero electrical impedance, which causes high current flow in the circuit.
- An open circuit is the reverse of a short circuit, which has infinite resistance between two nodes.
Short Circuit Definition
- A short circuit occurs between two nodes of a circuit by making an abnormal connection at different voltages.A short circuit causes high current flow.
- According to circuit analysis, a short circuit is a connection between two nodes that makes them at the same voltage.
- For an ideal short circuit, there is no resistance and no voltage losses over the connection.
- For a real circuit, make a connection with no resistance. For these conditions, current is limited through the resistance of other parts of the circuit.
Causes of Short Circuits
- A short circuit occurs due to an electrical wire carrying current making a connection with another wire, and the insulation of the damaged wire gets exposed.
- Different options can cause a short cirucit at home, like loose connections, wire sag or connecting with another wire which can cause short circuit.
- Nails and screw damage wiring and cause deterioration. Pests, mice, and squirrels chew wire and cause short circuits
- If you have older wire types, over time, the wire insulation starts to damage the live wire. Normally, electrical systems work for 30 to 40 years, and after that, they need replacement.
- Older wire systems damage the wire and cause short circuits.
Types of Short Circuits
Normal short circuit:
- In this, a short circuit occurs when the live wire makes a connection with the neutral wire. Resistance reduces, and the current moves to another direction.
Ground fault short circuit
- In this short circuit, a live wire connects to a grounded part of the box or devices, the ground wire, the outlet, or other components.
Signs of a Short Circuit
common sign of a short circuit are
Turn off appliances.
- If a short circuit occurs, all connected devices in the circuit are turned off. Like, outlets, TVs, computers, and other connected devices become off.
Breaker Trips
- Due to a short circuit, the breaker of the circuit gets tripped, or in older wiring, fuses blow out. breaking, tripping, or blowing a fuse off a connected device
Read Also;What is Mini circuit breaker; Features, Working, types
Is a short circuit dangerous?
- The short circuit occurs in the wiring system of the home, which needs serious attention and needs to be solved as possible.
- There are two types of short circuits; each occurs due to certain causes and has its own losses.
- Due to short circuits, the main cause of fire occurrence. Basically, a short circuit causes a fire at our home.
- Ground fault either has a low chance of fire but a high risk of electrical shock.
- If a ground fault occurs, where current due to a short circuit moves from the power supply to the ground and does not follow the original circuit wires.
- That shows the current moving over the metallic skin of devices, so if you touch it, it causes shock.
- If a ground fault has high current, such as for an electric oven, it causes a serious shock.
How to protect a home from a short circuit?
- Homes made in the last 50 years come with circuit breakers that are used for controlling short circuits.
- If high current flows in the circuit breaker, it suddenly detects high current in the circuit and break the circuit through tripping and save connected devices.
- Another protection system or device is ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCIs. It can be connected with a circuit breaker or separately.
- GFCI basically detects errors of circuits and cuts off the power supply if a fault occurs.
- GFCI was first used in the 1970s and is used in circuits where high chances of moisture or water exist, like bathrooms or kitchens.
- Either you have this protection on your home, but it has a chance of short circuit and high current flow, so it is better to inspect your wiring system every three to five years.
How to avoid short circuits?
To avoid short-circuit faults, you must first understand the primary causes of short circuits and how to prevent them. Follow these points to avoid short circuits.
Fuses:
- Circuit breakers or fuses are best used for controlling short circuits. If an overload occurs or low electrical resistance occurs, the breaker or fuse operates to minimize the short circuit effect.
- Fuses make internal short-circuit control easy
Open wiring:
- Insulation error is the main cause for short circuits. Make sure the wire used is not very old or has faulty insulation.
- Try to use quality insulation materials such as PVC, PE, etc.
- These options protect wires from exposure and prevent short circuits.
Rats:
- Try to properly clean your house of rats and pests. since pests can cut wires and cause short circuits through the connection of open wires
Faulty devices:
- Check the plug of connected devices accurately. If you find any plug loose or older, there is a chance of a short circuit, so work on these plugs and change them. Also, check that all devices switch off if not in use.
- Try to avoid small pilot lights for any appliance. There is a small red light that exists on the device at the time of standby mode; this light also uses power and can be the cause of short circuits.
Multi-plug outlets
- If you do not design the electrical system accurately and need to connect different devices to one outlet through multiple plug switches. Overload gets overloaded and causes a short circuit.
- So use a plug-in single outlet that avoids overloading and short-circuiting.
Hidden cables:
- For a good appearance, we hide the wires and cables of devices under carpets or curtains. So if you and your family member are moving there, there is a chance of cable damage with time, which causes a short circuit.
- accurately handle wires, and if you find any damage, solve that instantly
Moisture and heating:
- There are 2 main causes of short circuits: moisture and heat exposure. If you needed to protect the system from a short circuit, try to save the cable and wires from heating factors and put them in dry locations.
Proper Maintenance:
- Proper inspection and maintenance of the system are needed about one year for accurate working of the electrical circuit at home.
- Damaged wire, faulty outlet, and loose cable connection must be checked by a technician to avoid the risk of short circuit.
Protective Methods for Short Circuits
For the prevention of short circuits, different protective measures and methods are used for the system. There are different methods used that are explained here.
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
Circuit breakers and fuses are commonly seen in power systems for controlling electrical faults. They are used as safety components that stop current flow that occurs during an overload or a short circuit.
read more: What Is A Shunt Trip Breaker & How Does It Work? Detailed Guide
Circuit Breakers
- Breakers automatically stop current flow when a fault occurs and reset the circuit after clearing the fault, so their operation is preferred for sensitive circuits. It can easily handle high voltage and is normally seen in modern electrical systems.
Fuses:
- Fuses have metallic wire that gets melted when high current flows, and they do not reset automatically but break the circuit permanently.
- Either it is effective but has low efficiency since it needs manual repair.
- Before using either circuit breakers or fuses, accurately set their rating according to proper protection.
Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters
- For the protection of the circuit from electrical shocks, Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are used. These devices are mostly used in kitchens and bathrooms. since there is moisture.
- GFCIs easily sense the difference between incoming and outgoing current. That is a sign of a ground fault; a GFCI interrupts the circuit fast, which has a low chance of electrocution.
- If GFCI is connected at accurate locations, it increases safety precautions. GFCI is used as a breaker in the electrical panel.
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters
- These devices are used for the prevention of fire through arcing faults. This fault occurs due to a damaged wire; a loose connection causes sparks in electrical systems.
- AFCI monitor circuit that has abnormal conditions. When it finds fault, it cuts off power flow quickly, reducing the chances of fire.
- Mostly, AFCI is used in bedrooms and other places where more protection is needed.
- It is providing additional layers of safety for the electrical system, making our home safe.
Summary
Normally a short circuit occurs due to not using electronic devices safely.So unplug devices when not in use to avoid short circuits. Use proper fuses, stitches, outlets, and wire. Make a proper wiring design and use quality devices for the protection of costly devices connected in the home and also for fire hazards.
