What Is an Electrical Dead Short?
Last Updated Mar 30, 2020 7:44:38 PM ET
A dead short is a short circuit that creates no real resistance, allowing the amperage to build up until it trips the circuit breaker. These can be difficult to track down and diagnose because the current builds so rapidly that it usually trips the breaker immediately.
Dead shorts can be dangerous due to the high amount of current the situation creates. Repeatedly cycling the breaker to try to locate the short can cause damage to the wiring and present a major fire hazard.
Common causes of a dead short include a direct connection between the positive and negative power legs or a direct connection between the positive and ground wires without any load or resistance in between.
More From Reference
What Are the Steps of Presidential Impeachment?
What Does George Soros' Open Society Foundations Network Fund?
The History of the United States' Golden Presidential Dollars
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Changed Schools and Education in Lasting Ways
Fact Check: Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe?
How Does the 25th Amendment Work — and When Should It Be Enacted?