Fuses

[KREW2]

My newly installed Element 9 plotter has blown its inline fuse again
It was initially installed with a 2amp instead of the required 5 amp. When the 2 amp blew, I replaced it with the correct size. It worked fine last week but today it blew again.
Anyone any idea why this might happen.

 

[onesea]

Have you replaced with the right type of fuse?
https://ifunny.co/picture/auto-mechanic-life-hax-guide-to-fuse-replacement-350-am-40aebTkx8

 

[KREW2]

Yeh, like on every boat I had a bottle opener handy.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

My newly installed Element 9 plotter has blown its inline fuse again
It was initially installed with a 2amp instead of the required 5 amp. When the 2 amp blew, I replaced it with the correct size. It worked fine last week but today it blew again.
Anyone any idea why this might happen.

You may have an intermittent fault, or, perhaps you need a "Slow Blow" fuse? What does the instruction manual say? You don't say if it is a blade or cartridge fuse. Either way a "GOOGLE" search for either in slow blow category will bring them up. "Slow Blow" or Delay fuses are usually I.D. with a "T"

 

[KREW2]

Instructions state a 3 amp thermal breaker, which I am assuming is a trip switch, and a 5 amp inline fuse which is a spade type.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Instructions state a 3 amp thermal breaker, which I am assuming is a trip switch, and a 5 amp inline fuse which is a spade type.

The 3a thermal breaker will be slow blow. Automotive blade fuses are usually fast blow.

 

[KREW2]

The 3a thermal breaker will be slow blow. Automotive blade fuses are usually fast blow.

Is a thermal breaker similar to a trip switch?

 

[Boater Sam]

Is a thermal breaker similar to a trip switch?

Trip switch is something mechanical, a micro switch.
They are referring to miniature circuit breakers.

 

[KREW2]

Trip switch is something mechanical, a micro switch.
They are referring to miniature circuit breakers.

Thanks forgot about google. I seem to have a panel of thermal breakers.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

The 3a thermal breaker will be slow blow. Automotive blade fuses are usually fast blow.

What Paul says! the Circuit breaker is in the circuit for overload protection and the fuse is for Short Circuit Protection. Circuit breakers and fuses have different tripping characteristics, you can find these with a "GOOGLE" search if you want A 5 amp automotive fuse will carry around 6.5/7 amps without blowing. So it needs quite a high current to blow quickly (Short Circuit).
The circuit breaker will trip at a lower current (overload) but will take longer. Forget some of the rubbish that is published in these forums about fuses only protecting cables. They protect the whole circuit!
Assuming that you do have the correct 3 amp CB and 5 amp fuse with nothing else in that circuit. i.e. the CB and fuse only feed the plotter. Then I would hazard a guess that you have a fault giving a very high current (A) within the unit, (B) in the wiring and associated equipment. It could be a surge or spike on start up or shut down, but unlikely. It does appear to be intermittent, from what you have said. This is of course impossible to diagnose on line. Could even be as simple as a couple of cable strands touching in a connection block with vibration. Who knows?
As it would appear that this is a new installation I would suggest that you get the installer back to check the installation and possibly consider returning the unit as faulty.
Hope that helps.
PS Fault will be downstream of the fuse!

 

[GHB]

Thanks forgot about google. I seem to have a panel of thermal breakers.

much better places to ask these days, chatgpt et al will invariably give a better answer than google or most of the responses on here.

https://chat.openai.com/

wirite an overview describing the thermal breaker fuse found on sailing boats, briefly describe how they work

ChatGPT
A thermal breaker fuse, also known as a thermal circuit breaker, is a type of safety device commonly used on sailing boats to protect electrical circuits from overloading and overheating.

The thermal breaker fuse works by interrupting the flow of current when the temperature of the circuit exceeds a certain threshold. This threshold is set by a bimetallic strip, which consists of two different metals bonded together. When the temperature of the strip reaches a critical point, the two metals expand at different rates, causing the strip to bend and trigger the breaker mechanism.

In sailing boats, thermal breaker fuses are often used in conjunction with other safety devices such as fuses and circuit breakers. They are particularly useful in high-current applications where traditional fuses may not be able to handle the load without blowing.

Overall, thermal breaker fuses play an important role in ensuring the safety and reliability of electrical systems on sailing boats, by providing an effective means of protection against overloading and overheating.

 

[PaulRainbow]

What Paul says! the Circuit breaker is in the circuit for overload protection and the fuse is for Short Circuit Protection. Circuit breakers and fuses have different tripping characteristics, you can find these with a "GOOGLE" search if you want A 5 amp automotive fuse will carry around 6.5/7 amps without blowing. So it needs quite a high current to blow quickly (Short Circuit).
The circuit breaker will trip at a lower current (overload) but will take longer. Forget some of the rubbish that is published in these forums about fuses only protecting cables. They protect the whole circuit!
Assuming that you do have the correct 3 amp CB and 5 amp fuse with nothing else in that circuit. i.e. the CB and fuse only feed the plotter. Then I would hazard a guess that you have a fault giving a very high current (A) within the unit, (B) in the wiring and associated equipment. It could be a surge or spike on start up or shut down, but unlikely. It does appear to be intermittent, from what you have said. This is of course impossible to diagnose on line. Could even be as simple as a couple of cable strands touching in a connection block with vibration. Who knows?
As it would appear that this is a new installation I would suggest that you get the installer back to check the installation and possibly consider returning the unit as faulty.
Hope that helps.

This

 

[PaulRainbow]

much better places to ask these days, chatgpt et al will invariably give a better answer than google or most of the responses on here.

https://chat.openai.com/

Absolutely, apart from you, no-one here knows anything about anything.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

much better places to ask these days, chatgpt et al will invariably give a better answer than google or most of the responses on here.

https://chat.openai.com/

Utter garbage! No Electrician/Technician/ Engineer would write such utter nonsense.
What is a "Thermal breaker fuse"??? it is either a circuit breaker or a fuse, not both! They both protect the circuit but in slightly different ways. How does it protect from overheating? A Thermal circuit breaker protects against excess current, caused by overload, It does this by means of a thermal , probably bi-metal device in the circuit breaker. It is the current that causes the temperature rise in the Circuit breaker. Temperature in any other part of the circuit will not affect the device! a totally misleading article for anyone not au fait with electrical systems. Literary diarrhoea!!

 

[ChromeDome]

One would be curious as to when/why the amperage exceeds manufacturer specs.
An ampere meter (clamp model) would be handy. Are all connections good - no extra consumers added?

As newly installed there should be a warranty if the device takes the role of a toaster?

 

[PaulRainbow]

Utter garbage! No Electrician/Technician/ Engineer would write such utter nonsense.
What is a "Thermal breaker fuse"??? it is either a circuit breaker or a fuse, not both! They both protect the circuit but in slightly different ways. How does it protect from overheating? A Thermal circuit breaker protects against excess current, caused by overload, It does this by means of a thermal , probably bi-metal device in the circuit breaker. It is the current that causes the temperature rise in the Circuit breaker. Temperature in any other part of the circuit will not affect the device! a totally misleading article for anyone not au fait with electrical systems. Literary diarrhoea!!

Couldn't agree more, that "article" is pure nonsense. (and that's being polite)

 

[ChromeDome]

Couldn't agree more, that "article" is pure nonsense. (and that's being polite)

It asked for a login which normally calls for accepting T&C. Didn't bother.

Also, AI is no match for natural stupidity anyway, so I'm outside of the target group

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

It asked for a login which normally calls for accepting T&C. Didn't bother.

Also, AI is no match for natural stupidity anyway, so I'm outside of the target group

If you were to read GBH original post I think you will find the article is open!

 

[ChromeDome]

Nope..:

 

[GHB]

Utter garbage! No Electrician/Technician/ Engineer would write such utter nonsense.
What is a "Thermal breaker fuse"??? it is either a circuit breaker or a fuse, not both! They both protect the circuit but in slightly different ways. How does it protect from overheating? A Thermal circuit breaker protects against excess current, caused by overload, It does this by means of a thermal , probably bi-metal device in the circuit breaker. It is the current that causes the temperature rise in the Circuit breaker. Temperature in any other part of the circuit will not affect the device! a totally misleading article for anyone not au fait with electrical systems. Literary diarrhoea!!

Very good example of an emotional response from cognitive bias

what is cognitive bias and how does it effect peoples responsses on social media when something they disagree with is posted. cite sourceds




Cognitive bias refers to the systematic ways in which our thinking is often flawed or distorted, leading us to make judgments and decisions that are irrational or inaccurate. These biases can arise from a variety of factors, including our personal experiences, beliefs, and social context, and they can impact our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors in subtle and often unconscious ways.
One way in which cognitive bias can affect people's responses on social media when something they disagree with is posted is through a phenomenon known as confirmation bias. This bias refers to the tendency for people to seek out and interpret information in ways that confirm their pre-existing beliefs, while discounting or ignoring evidence that contradicts those beliefs.
For example, if someone strongly believes in a particular political ideology, they may be more likely to share and engage with content on social media that aligns with their views, while ignoring or dismissing content that challenges those views. This can create a feedback loop where individuals are exposed only to information that reinforces their existing beliefs, making it difficult for them to consider alternative perspectives or change their opinions.
Another cognitive bias that can impact people's responses on social media is the bandwagon effect. This bias refers to the tendency for people to adopt the beliefs or behaviors of a group, often without considering the evidence or arguments for or against those beliefs. On social media, this can manifest in the form of "liking" or sharing posts that are popular or align with the prevailing opinion, even if the content is inaccurate or misleading.
There are many other cognitive biases that can impact people's responses on social media, such as the availability heuristic, which leads people to overestimate the frequency or importance of events based on how easily they come to mind, or the sunk cost fallacy, which causes people to persist in a course of action even when it is no longer rational or beneficial.
Sources:

• Cherry, K. (2022). Cognitive biases: Definition, types, and examples. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from How Cognitive Biases Influence How You Think and Act
• Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Sunstein, C. R. (2017). #Republic: Divided democracy in the age of social media. Princeton University Press.

"What is a "Thermal breaker fuse"???" A misleading term from a human question. The LLM did't come up with the term, it just kept using the same term, which is used sometimes day to day in the real world apparently even if you hate it.


Seems much more productive to take the time to go and have a play instead of just dismissing such a useful resource. LLMs/AI's are here to stay, it's the morning of day 1 & already humans can't compete in so many different areas.

Anyone else more open minded, don't listen to anyone but go have a play, chatGDP can be way off the mark sometimes but keep chatting and checking, often so much faster than asking here. And no emotional response negative replies, it even says sorry

to log on, click log on & use google.