Fuses - again

Interesting. I assume that is why charging units do not have a fuse.

However, we keep being told that the fuse is to protect the flex. If a fault develops in the flex the appliance might not be involved.

The correct fuse doesn't depend on cable size at all, it depends on the load ie the appliance.

NT

No.

NT

and sometimes that is a sensible option. If your appliance has had its 13A fuse replaced with a 2A and it blows on occasion, trying a 3A is a fair thing to do by someone that doesn't understand what fuse to choose.

NT

no, though it's often said. Most is though.

It can, as I found out, but not really safely.

NT

We are told that. IRL it protects the appliance as well. There is a lot of oversimplification out there. Fuses may be simple devices, but fusing is a nontrivial subject, and attempting to simplify it here is not going to result in a proper understanding. If you want to know it all, find the relevant materials & read.

NT

Thanks. I'll stick with my plan of reassessing the fuses and fitting the one I think is appropriate for the appliance involved (never higher than the original of course). .

In theory yes (for new appliances), as the short-circuit current should be high enough to blow the circuit fuse before flashbangenpoppen occur.

Personally I think it's a nasty continental habit.

Owain

I don't see anything nasty in having to check only the consumer unit rather than both the consumer unit and the fuse when faced with a aufgehortarbeitensituation.

And cartridge fuses are soooo ungreen.

With a ring main this would be 32A. I don't fancy blasting that size of current through a faulty domestic appliance.

I could probably count on one hand the ones that have failed in the last decade. Fires are more ungreen, as the Aussies are discovering.

I think the new Mac Pro towers have 1.4Kw PSUs

that doesn't make them 16A rated

whatever for? They're not PCS anyway.

a long way from a normal PC then.

Okay, a fairly typical example of a slightly older PC with a highish end (for the time) processor and a medium range (?) graphics card (the one my three sons had until a recent upgrade:

CPU: AMD FX-8350 (not overclocked) Memory: 2 x 8GB DDR3 Video: NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Storage: 2 x SSD, 2 x SATA III 7200rpm HDD PCIe cards: Single port Ethernet, DVB-T Tuner Keyboard: Gaming keyboard Mouse: Gaming mouse USB devices: Hub, external HDD, Sometimes a couple of Arduinos Other devices: Integral card reader Fans: 4 x 120mm Usage: 8 hours per day, 4 of it gaming

Using an online power requirements calculator, that gives a load of 424W and recommended a PSU of at least 474W.

Adding a second graphics card in SLI mode (as huge numbers of gamer do) would bump it up enough for a 650W to 700W PSU to be required.

SteveW

With respect for an old pc 16G ram, 4 hdds/ssds, 2 arduinos, 4 fans is a long way from a typical pc. Bit pointless isn't it.

Bollocks. The fuse in a plug is only there to protect the cable. If the appliance needs a fuse it will be in or on it.

What appliances do not need a fuse?