Whangarei Electrical Services: Dealing with an Electrical Short Circuit
Most of our activities are centered around having and using electricity. From preparing and cooking our food, watching TV, browsing the web, doing the laundry, electricity is integrated into pretty much everything we do every day.
When the power goes out across Whangarei – BOOM! We can’t even stand the dark ages for 5 minutes.
So you head to the basement, the hallway, the laundry – wherever you believe you saw that circuit box, hoping to reset your electric box. If it lights up, then lucky you, you get to go back to watching Netflix and move on. But if it doesn’t, and the power stays tripped,, would you know what to do?
How do you deal with an electrical short circuit?
What is a Short Circuit?
A short circuit is an electrical circuit wherein the designed route of the current is bypassed—following the path of least resistance. This phenomenon results in excessive current flowing through the circuit which makes it dangerous to humans if touched.
When this happens, the circuit is termed “short”, in a sense that it has bypassed the circuit wirings, hence, short circuit.
How Can You Prevent a Short Circuit?
Monitor Outlets and Appliances
All outlets must have well-maintained wirings to ensure everything is in sound working order and further prevent electrically induced problems.
Initially, there are numerous options you can do in checking your outlet before considering the help of a professional electrician, such as:
- Determining the age of the outlet. If the outlet is more than 25 years old, consider changing all the wirings of the outlet.
- Burn marks. Check the surface of the outlet for discoloration.
- Watch out for smells. Toxic burning smells like burnt plastic, rotten eggs or sulphur are the odours to look out for. These are smells associated with electrical overheating.
- Sparks emitting from the outlet. This occurs when the strands of the bare wirings become misaligned or the circuit has already short circuited.
- Buzzing sound from the outlet. Wires inside the outlet are loose and soon they start vibrating, creating these buzzing noises inside your walls. This is a sign that your outlet is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.
Use Less Electricity during Storms
A nearby lightning strike can cause short circuits and can even destroy the power source due to extreme current introduced to the existing circuit. This can be prevented by reducing electrical consumption during storms.
Get a Yearly Electrical Inspection
Inspecting all circuitry by a professional can prevent short circuits that may occur in the future by identifying critical parts of the circuit and fixing it.
So let’s go back to the initial question – how do you deal with a short circuit?
The best way is to call someone who deals with overloaded circuits all the time.
If you experience tripping and fault surges frequently, you should call an electrician to check on your circuit breakers or your overall electrical system. This is not a DIY issue, this is a serious electrical issue that should be handled by a licensed and trained professional.
Dealing with an electrical short circuit in your Whangarei home?
Call Us 09 283 9649!
CDL Electrical Services will safely get the power back on and check on your circuit breakers. We’ll help identify the causes of your overloads, power surges and short circuits.
