Shorting out can happen when you use a conductive object (like a brass wire brush) and you leave the power on after heating the nozzle to clean it off. Heat, turn off, brush, turn on, repeat as necessary or use a non-conductive abrasive like Scotch Brite pads.
I don’t think you can raise the nozzle high enough to get your head inside the printer to look up the nozzle opening 
. I use a cheap convex mirror I bought at the grocery store. Also useful for just looking at the nozzle to see if it needs cleaning.
If you don’t feel comfortable with the tool idea, you can get a replacement nozzle from https://itworks3d.com/?product_cat=0&s=hexagon+nozzle&post_type=product. As for how to change it, try https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/howto-change-hexagon-hotend-nozzle/2613.