10-10-2011, 12:03 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Posts: 1,427
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech
I am by no means an electronic expert, however, I doubt any manufacturer of fuse strips would authorize soldering a broken fuse to handle the same current as the undamaged one.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech
it's generally the entire fuse element that "handles" the current it's rated for.
adding anything to the fuse, especially if it's broken in the center will certainly alter it's capabilities to open at a certain rating.
if a fuse failed, even if it LOOKS like a vibration break, it's best to install the correct fuse, not mend the broken one. it may have failed as a break due to near limit draw, and vibration from driving caused the break... I'd not chance burning down my car with a mended fuse.
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"I'd not chance burning down my car with a mended fuse"
You couldn't, the mended fuse can't flow a higher current that the original fuse! It is most likely that the solder used to mend the fuse would melt and open the circuit before the fuse's alloy did.
The best analogy would be if you took a 30A strip fuse and cut it in half at its center essentially creating two 30A fusible links and then used another conductor to electrically join them in series i. e. 30A fusible link/strip half - conductor - 30A fusible link/strip half. It would make no difference at all if the conductor you used to join the two 30A fusible link/strip halves was tin foil, solid gold, L6 tool steel or titanium. If the current flow exceeds the capacity of either 30 A fusible link section that will blow, at the same rating as a single complete fuse.
The only thing that could possibly happen is the rating of the modified fuse could be reduced if the conductor used to join the two 30A sections itself had a lower effective rating, i. e. tin foil, gum wrapper anything that might be thinner, lower melting point, or higher resistance than the original 30A fuse's alloy in its physical configuration.
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