Causes Of Fire Due To Electrical Faults
Q. What are the causes of fire due to electrical faults ?
Following are the different reasons of electric fires:
- Poor quality material is used which is incapable of carrying rated current.
- Machinery of electric circuit being over loaded produced much more I’R loss which generates heat and increases temperature and nearing material starts burning.
- Due to short circuit, a large amount of current is produced which causes large heat production and this is the main cause of sever fire.
- Fuses, relays, circuit breakers are meant for protection under abnormal condition. But due to this or that reason the above elements may not operate in faulty conditions and hence a heavy fault may occur which causes fire.
- Failure of earthing system may cause a short circuit and heavy fault causing setting of fire.
- Fuses of un-necessary high capacity rating may be put in the circuit which does not melt at the above rated current of machine and wiring and winding start burning due to failure of insulation.
- Due to over loading of machine for a length of time will cause burning of insulation.
- Loose connections produce sparking which may fire the surrounding material or wires.
- Improper maintenance is also responsible for faults and risk of fire insulation should be periodically checked.
- Explosive material near electric machine or switch boards may catch fire due to switching sparks. To avoid the electric fire therefore due care should be taken not to happen the above mentioned things Keep fire extinguishers and buckets full of sand at the important places in generating station, substations, controlling circuits, laboratories, big buildings, public places.