fusible link questions

AL8001 at aol.com AL8001 at aol.com
Wed Feb 3 16:33:30 GMT 1999


>James Weiler wrote:
>> 
>> gents,
>> 
>> Can somebody tell me why fusible links are all the rage now rather
>> than a fuse?  Is there some niffty piece of info on these things that I'm
>> missing?
>
>

Fusible links really aren't that new, the 73 Dodge Dart used a few.  The main
advantges I see are:

1 Low cost to use.

2 No fuse block required, they can be installed close to the source of power.
( this reduces the length of unprotected wireing)

3 Circuits can be split up into smaller zones so a failure dosn't takeout
vital systems.

4 No/ little chance of the fuse link wearing out. Yes wearing out.  As someone
has also posted, regular fuses that are used close to their rated capacity
will pop for no apparent reason.  This is from thermal cycleing.

5 I "think" fusible links have a lower resistance that a glass ( SFE 20) or a
ATC/ ATO plastic fuse.

It's posible to read a failed fuse, a silver spot usually means a dead short (
pinched wire) . A melted link is usually a overload ( fan motor with bad
bearings) or possibily a worn out fuse.

Other trivia.  Light bulbs do wear out before burning out.  Tunsgsten from the
hot filament coats the inside of the glass reducing the transmitted light and
the filament starts to develop thin spots.  If the glass looks black/silver or
the filament looks grainy black/ silver the bulb should be replaced.  

Mufflers do have bearings.

It's possible to walk up hill to school both ways.


Harold



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