Understanding the causes of short circuits in India

Shreegopal Kabra, Managing Director, RR Kabel

The pace of urbanisation has been rapid in India over the past two decades and is expected to further accelerate in the years ahead. A joint report by NAREDCO and EY estimates that the size of the country's real estate market will reach USD one trillion 2030. Moreover, the National Commission on Population (NCP) predicts that approximate 36.8% of Indians (amounting to 600 million people) will live in urban areas by 2036.

Needless to say, the increasing population of our urban centres, and the accompanying surge in urban real estate developments, demands an even greater emphasis on quality and safety. Fire safety is a particular area of concern - with data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealing that 62,832 people tragically lost their lives to fire-related accidents between 2016 and 2020. Electrical issues or short circuits have been identified as one of the key causes of these fires by authorities.

A short circuit occurs when there is a low-resistance connection between two conductors that are supplying electrical power to a circuit. This generates excessive voltage streaming and current flow in the power source, as the electricity flows through the 'short' route, causing a 'short circuit'.

What leads to a short circuit?

Here are a few of the common factors that contribute to short circuits:

Faulty circuit wire insulation: Damaged insulation may cause a hot or powered wire to touch a neutral wire, causing a short circuit. Wear-and-tear due to age, as well as nails or screws, all cause damage to insulation over time.

Loose wire connections: Loose wire connections or attachments will allow live and neutral wires to touch, triggering a short circuit.

Temporary connections done without recommended plug tops for electrical or carpentry work or for festival lightings often lead to spark, short circuit or fire.

Faulty appliance wiring: Problems with the wiring of an appliance can cause a short circuit, as plugging in an appliance essentially makes its wiring an extended part of the circuit.

Under size cables: If the size of wire is lower than the load requirements (inclusive of additional load connected later) the wire may overheat, melt, further leading to short circuits and fire.

Wiring exposed to heat and moisture: Water, or another fluid, coming into contact with electrical wiring, will trigger a short circuit. This is because water, which conducts electricity, will cause the current to flow through it into the ground. This damages the wiring and potentially starts a fire.

Damaged electrical devices: Old or damaged electrical devices, including outlets, switches and appliances, can cause a short circuit, as the electrical current bypasses its intended path.

Inappropriate circuit breaker: If proper selection of circuit breakers is not done, it may not function during a fault further leading to short circuit and fire.

Overloaded circuits: Too many appliances or devices plugged into one circuit causes an abnormal build-up of electrical current within the system, triggering a short circuit.

The need to prioritize fire safety over cost savings

Damaged or compromised electrical systems are the primary cause of short circuits, which in turn are a significant fire risk for buildings and their inhabitants. It is an unfortunate reality that more often than not, electrical fire safety in India has been compromised in a bid to reduce construction and maintenance costs.

Builders have traditionally had a financial incentive to economise on the costs of installing electrical and fire safety equipment by using inferior-quality wires, cables and conductors. Consequently, their end-consumers.

The need of the hour is for stringent enforcement of the relevant regulations, including the National Building Code of India (NBC 2016) and the National Electrical Code of India (NEC 2023), which will provide the real estate sector with a strong legal incentive to prioritize electrical fire safety in construction projects. The use of high-quality copper wiring and copper conductors will go a long way towards creating safer and robust electrical systems, with only a marginal increase in the total construction cost.

At an individual level, being vigilant about malfunctioning or damaged electrical outlets, devices and wiring, as well as avoiding overloading circuits, will also significantly reduce the risk of short circuits.

Collectively, these measures will usher in a new era of safer, and more secure, residential and commercial spaces in an increasingly more urbanised India of the future!