THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Short circuit incidents are causing great damage and loss of life in homes and businesses. We can avoid this by being careful.

Short circuit

An electric circuit usually has three wires. Phase, Neutral and then Earth. A short circuit is when the wire in the phase wire passing the current comes in contact with the wire in the neutral wire for some reason. This causes the current to flow multiple times the normal current level. If the wiring in the building does not have a system to withstand the excess current, it can cause the wire to melt and catch fire on materials. This is known as a short circuit.

Counter systems

Measures to prevent short circuits are included when designing the wiring of the building. The first of these is the 'fuse wire'. This can be seen in the wiring panel itself next to the meter.

The fuse is included for the safety of the building and wiring. To overcome the inconvenience of occasional blowing of the fuse in the event of an overcurrent, some replace it with a thicker wire. But they do not realize that this is paving the way for a possible fire event.

Miniature circuit breaker

This is a system that automatically shuts off the circuit in the event of an overcurrent. Power can only be restored if it is turned on a second time.

Earth leakage circuit breaker

It detects even the smallest power leakage from the circuit to the ground and breaks the circuit in real time. It prevents the fire from spreading to objects around the wiring through sparks.

Although these devices are mandatory for electrical safety under new building codes, many do not install them in older buildings and during renovations.

Keeping mobile phones plugged in overnight was also the reason for many dangers recently.