Electricity takes the path of least resistance - That is to say most of the electricity takes the path of least resistance.
In this case the short circuit will have an incredibly low resistance, and the vast majority of the electricity will bypass your appliance, causing no damage (to the appliance) at all. However where the short circuit occurs on the cable one will find burning marks and heat damage, perhaps even part of the metal has been vaporised leaving a hole or melting mark on the metal of the wire itself.
There is also a very good chance the fuse will break inside the plug top and that circuit breakers* will trip in your board.
*Breakers because the fault current may be large enough in a short circuit to trip your main circuit breaker and not just the breaker for the circuit the appliance is plugged into, this however is rare.
yes it is the main breaker
An appliance cable or "flex" outlet is a type of electrical outlet which is NOT a "socket outlet" to take plugs for appliances so that they can be plugged and un-plugged. An appliance cable or "flex" outlet has terminals inside it. The terminals allow the wires in an appliance cable or "flex" to be connected to the household wiring in a building. The household wiring comes from the building's main electrical power panel, which carries the main circuit breakers. The circuit breakers are fitted to protect the household wiring from catching on fire if any circuit is overloaded. Such appliance cable or "flex" outlets also have strain-relief clips. A strain-relief clip helps to prevent the cable from being yanked out of the outlet if the appliance gets moved away from the wall where the outlet is installed. Such outlets, with terminals inside and strain-relief clips, are used for fixed appliances, such as ranges or dryers, which should never have to be un-plugged during normal use of the appliance by the user.
Yes, the amp rating is a measurement of the highest amp load it should carry. So a 15 amp appliance will work on a 20 amp socket but you wouldn't want to use a 20 amp appliance on a 15 amp socket.
Yes, it will be protected by a circuit breaker or fuse. The normal rating of the circuit breaker or fuse is 25% more than the maximum current expected, or the maximum current allowed for the cable size, whichever is lower.
When using a two-wire cable to feed a 240-V appliance that does not require a neutral wire, you typically connect both hot wires to the appliance's terminals. This setup provides the necessary voltage and current while eliminating the need for a neutral return path. It's important to ensure that the circuit is properly protected with a suitable circuit breaker or fuse to handle the load. Additionally, verify that local electrical codes and regulations are followed for safety and compliance.
The wire that is at or near 0V and conducts an electric current whenever the appliance is switched on is the neutral wire. This wire completes the circuit and provides a return path for the current to flow back to the source.
If the gap is small then you may get 'arcing'. This is where the electricity will jump from one point to another (cable end to cable end). This could cause a fire. If the gap is too large for the electricity to jump then in effect there will be no-circuit.
To wire dedicated circuits, you need to route a separate cable from the electrical panel to the specific outlet or appliance you want to power. You then connect the cable to a dedicated circuit breaker in the electrical panel. To test if the circuit is dedicated, turn off the breaker and check if the outlet or appliance loses power. If other devices also lose power, then the circuit is not dedicated.
Two different methods, either: 1) Faulty internal wiring is the most common cause. A live cable is somehow electrically connected to appliance. 2) Static build up, can be caused by internal mechanical movement. Note that the appliance may appear charged if a static shock is received, but the charge is not actually received from the appliance, but instead delivered to the appliance from the person.
In an electrical circuit, you'll have a charged circuit (the positive), and a ground circuit... a bad ground cable is a cable which is somehow not effectively completing the ground.. could be poor conductive material, a break or fray in the cable, an improper grounding point..
If the voltage is supplying any current through the cable, i.e. if there is any 'load' at the end, then the voltage will drop through the cable.
The size of the wire is set by the maximum current it has to carry. The voltage sets the size of the insulation. In the UK a 230 v (nominal) ring-circuit supplying a set of power sockets is rated at 30 amps and uses a ring of 2.5 sq-mm cable.