Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine March 2022

HVACR NewsMagazine March 2022

Tech News

problem as a "short," but that's just not how it is. A short is a specific condition that happens when the circuit is shorter than it should be. For example, if two wires rub out against each other and touch where the bare contacts have been exposed, they will draw high amperage due to the circuit being shorter than intended. That is the true definition of a short circuit. In cases where shorts occur in circuits with fuses, the amperage may be high enough to cause the fuse the blow. When the fuse blows, it breaks the circuit so that electricity can no longer flow through and potentially cause a dangerous situation. An open circuit happens when there is an incomplete path, such as in a case where a conductor is severed entirely. You can think of an open circuit as being similar to a switch that prevents electricity from flowing through a circuit. (However, in most cases, open circuits are unintentional.) Improperly stripping back the wire jacket can cause you to cut the conductors. In extreme cases, a

conductor may come apart and cause an open circuit.

Wire routing best practices

Routing your wires cleanly and properly is perhaps the best way to prevent short circuits. Short circuits happen when conductors are allowed to chafe or rub against other nearby objects. So, when you're routing your wires outside of the air handler, you'll want to use the proper grommets to prevent the wires from rubbing out against the metal cabinet. It also pays to be mindful of metal stud work when routing wires between the air handler and thermostat. Some of those penetrations are sharp and can damage the conductors, which may eventually lead to short circuits. The same principles apply to the high-voltage wires inside the condenser panel. It's a good idea to keep the wires neat, routed through proper grommets, and kept out of the capacitor's and contactors way. In both the low-voltage and high-voltage wiring, you also don't want there to be too much slack in the wires, if possible but also not under pull out tension.