The Many, Many Dangers of Short Circuits

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Have you ever encountered a short circuit? If you have and lived to tell the tale, consider yourself very lucky. 

In the United States alone, there are approximately 400 electrical deaths each year because of electrical injuries and 30,000 serious injuries. There are also over 24,000 electrical fires.

That's a lot of damage! What exactly are short circuits and why are they so dangerous?

A short circuit is essentially an abnormal connection (a shortcut) between two parts of an electrical circuit. Imagine a toaster that is plugged in. Now, imagine you insert a metal utensil inside it.

This utensil now interrupts the closed circuit and gives the electricity an alternative path to travel. If you were careless enough to be holding that utensil, you could receive a serious shock or your toaster itself could burn up in flames. Why?

Because you essentially created a short circuit. It should be noted that there are two kinds of short circuits: a normal one and a ground fault one. Both are dangerous but they occur in different ways.

Want to know more about each one and find out how you can protect yourself and your home from electrical circuits? Then watch our video!