We all know that any product has a specific operating range, and some even have a safety rating. Exceeding this rating can lead to problems. This is also commonly referred to as overloading. For example, a certain vehicle has a load capacity of 4 tons. Exceeding this rating is considered "overloading," which can easily damage the vehicle. Electrical wiring also has its own current-carrying regulations. If overloaded, thin wires can carry high currents, which can easily cause fires. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to the use and maintenance of electrical wiring.
Causes of Electrical Wire Overloading
For indoor exposed wiring, the ambient temperature should not exceed 35°C. Selecting wires within the safe current rating will prevent overheating. However, if the current exceeds the safe current rating, the wires will heat up. The amount of heat generated by the wire is proportional to the square of the current intensity. If the current intensity doubles, the heat generation quadruples, causing the wires to overheat and potentially cause fires.
First, it's important to understand that fires caused by electrical wire overload generally occur when the wires overheat, causing surrounding objects to reach their ignition point and ignite.
The amount of current that can flow continuously through a wire without overheating is generally called the safe current rating. When the current flowing through a wire exceeds this rating, it indicates the wire is overloaded. For example, suppose the safe power rating for a home's wiring is 2500 watts. At night, if the lights, television, refrigerator, and electric heater are all running simultaneously, the total power consumption reaches 2300 watts. The wire is already operating at full capacity. If a 300-watt hot water heater is used to boil water, the wire is clearly overloaded. A 600-watt electric kettle is even more severely overloaded. This could cause the plastic, rubber, or other insulating material covering the wire to catch fire, which could then ignite adjacent flammable materials, leading to a fire.
The main causes of overload are:
● Using too many household appliances, with the total power consumption exceeding the safe current rating of the power lines;
● Using wires that are too thin for high-power appliances;
● Using fuses that are too thick, which, when the power lines are overloaded, fails to function as a safety measure and instead causes the wires to continue operating in an overloaded state.
Precautions
The lifespan of electrical wiring depends on the quality of the wires and the environment in which they are installed. Electrical wires are primarily insulated by a sheath. Over time, corrosive gases corrode the insulation, gradually degrading it, causing it to harden, become brittle, or even break off. Loss of insulation can be very dangerous. If two wires touch each other or the live wire touches something connected to the ground, electrical leakage can occur, causing the wire to heat up locally, sparking, and potentially causing a fire.
This shows that the dangers of overloading electrical wiring are considerable, so everyone must exercise due caution when handling electrical wiring. When choosing electrical wiring for home renovations, be sure to consider your household's electrical usage and ensure that the wire can carry a current greater than your household's total power consumption. Electrical safety is paramount in our daily lives.
