158. Short Circuits and Overloads: What's the Difference?

Protection of electrical circuits can be tricky to understand.  Jonathan Fuller is an expert in these devices and breaks down how to differentiate between short circuit and overload protection.  He points out that it starts with understanding what the upstream potential is that could damage the equipment from a huge inrush of instantaneous current.  The short circuit device is the equipment that springs into action in these instances and can save end users a lot of headache, damage and potential downtime when configured correctly.As equipment runs the loads can vary.  Sometimes the mechanical load varies or there can be other items that impact the current of the load.  When that happens knowing how to select and configure an overload device can add significant run life to the assets.  Jonathan unpacks the different types of load classes for the devices and even gives some advice for those that run into the "just turn the overload up" situations to keep production moving.  Technology is changing fast in the world of circuit protection and this idea episode is designed to connect the dots for anyone in industry.  To have a circuit that you can have confidence in takes proper design of both short circuit and overload protection - take the steps now to ensure the equipment meets your expectations of production, reliability, and safety.  Guest: Jonathan Fuller - Automation & Power Product Manager at Electrical Equipment Company (EECO)Host: Chris GraingerExecutive Producer: Adam SheetsPodcast Editor: Andi ThrowerShort circuit protection and safety evaluation Short circuit protection or overload protection overview