Whats the difference between and overloaded circuit and a short? Does it matter?
Plug a 2000 watt toaster oven into a 15 Amp circuit and the a fuse takes a little time to blow, a circuit breaker takes some time to trip. It’s drawing 16-2/3 Amps, just a little too much current, which takes time to heat up and melt the fuse or set off the breaker. Drop a big kitchen knife on the counter and cut through the cord. When the knife blade connects the two wires in the cord, you get a spark. It draws a lot of current and melts the fuse or trips the circuit breaker immediately. In both cases, the circuit breaker or the fuse does its job; it acts as an over-current protection device and shuts down the electricity.
