1A fuse in a 13A plug - what will happen?

[Discharged]

I'm trying to explain to my kid (8) why were have fuses in plugs, and he found a 1A glass fuse lying 'round and he asked me if we could put that into a 13A plug. I said 'no' it would blow if you plugged into the mains.

Then I wondered if that really would happen... So thought I'd better ask here for clarification.

What does happen if you put a too-lower rated a fuse into a plug? To my mind, what happens depends on the appliance being supplied - what current it draws.

Any idea on this, please?

 

[kippaxkid]

Ian wrote:"You can not be serious ? 25mm is an inch 20mm is roughly 3/4 inch think you need to back to school"

you need to read the posting I was replying to, and the sarcasm in my response will come shining through like a beacon...............

(Reads better knowing what the comment was about, dunnit?)

 

[kippaxkid]

I am also old enough to remember when things on a roll had to be sold in metric lengths, but perversely widths were still imperial. ( so very last century!!)

typical conversation>
100 yards of visqueen please.
it's a 100 metres these days mate. Get with the times....Now do you want it 9 foot wide or 12 foot?

We used to rule the world, you know

 

[kippaxkid]

I'm approaching bus pass age. Every morning I have to sit on the end of the bed until the deafening noise of my bones finishes before i stand up,and all that takes longer than the drive to work, and you STILL call me junior

 

[KFH]

When I went to school they kept on changing the units of measure for things due to metrication. So I learnt foot pounds inches, Centimeter gramm seconds, metre kilogram seconds with poundals, newtons, and all sorts of other things that I ca

 

[KFH]

can no longer remember. As a result I have absolutly no idea what goes with what. While I can use these new fangled things I still understand inches and feet best.

I managed to press something which posted the last reply part way through. so this is the rest.

 

[Darkwood]

Plugging in a 1amp fuse on a 13amp appliance wouldnt make it go bang it would just heat the fuse up rapidly and it will break, an appliance with a motor may make it pop a little with the inrush but it would need a fault condition to make it vapouries the copper wire leaving the familiar copper coated glass effect, at standard voltage of 230v its possible for the vapourised glass coating to still give a path, some ceramics avoid this issue by filling the fuse with sand so if it was to vapourise the wire it is extremely unlikely to leave a copper track that the cuurent could still use.
Lower voltage are less likely to be able to track across a blown fuse and glass is ideal as you can see if the fusewire is intact and if not whether a short blew it or a overload.

 

[Cyberprog]

Plugging in a 1amp fuse on a 13amp appliance wouldnt make it go bang it would just heat the fuse up rapidly and it will break, an appliance with a motor may make it pop a little with the inrush but it would need a fault condition to make it vapouries the copper wire leaving the familiar copper coated glass effect, at standard voltage of 230v its possible for the vapourised glass coating to still give a path, some ceramics avoid this issue by filling the fuse with sand so if it was to vapourise the wire it is extremely unlikely to leave a copper track that the cuurent could still use.
Lower voltage are less likely to be able to track across a blown fuse and glass is ideal as you can see if the fusewire is intact and if not whether a short blew it or a overload.

The BS Standard (BS1362) requires them to be filled IIRC with sand.

 

[Darkwood]

The BS Standard (BS1362) requires them to be filled IIRC with sand.

When i said 'some ceramics' was refering to the many varieties of ceramic fuses but yes agree BS1362 requires the sand for the reason ive given but other ceramic fuses do employ different methods but they also have a physical size advantage, BS1362 are very small given rise to potential tracking hence the requirement.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

You can not be serious ? 25mm is an inch 20mm is roughly 3/4 inch think you need to back to school:33:

well i could nit pick here n all and say you are both wrong as its 24.7mm actually.....splitting atoms guys..lol...rrr:

 

[telectrix]

i thought it was 25.4. and anyway metric system is stupid. ever heard anyone say " not many of those in a killergram"?

 

[trev]

It's mad but I measure things in mm but my kids and grandson were born in Lb + Oz

 

[Geordie Spark]

well i could nit pick here n all and say you are both wrong as its 24.7mm actually.....splitting atoms guys..lol...rrr:

That may be the case in Yorkshire bonny lad, but here in Geordieland it's 25.4

Trust me ......... I'm a Precision Engineer to trade !!!! :snore:

 

[lennyallover]

this is ohm law P = I x V
The appliance is 800watts divided by 230 = 3.5 Amps
put a 1 amp fuse in plug it will go bang

P = I x V is not ohms law, its the formula we derive from ohms law,... just saying ;-)

 

[Leesparkykent]

P = I x V is not ohms law, its the formula we derive from ohms law,... just saying ;-)

last post was only 4 years ago.....

 

[slingshot2000]

Didn't Marty get "Back to the Future" a fortnight ago ?