answersLogoWhite

0

Is there a fuse that fixes itself?

Updated: 12/19/2022
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

Best Answer

Fuses do not fix themselves. They burn out, when you blow a fuse, and cannot be fixed. However, circuit breakers are designed so that they turn off the current when it exceeds a safe level, but afterwards they can be reset. This is much more convenient than using fuses. But even circuit breakers usually do not reset themselves, someone has to reset them.

You probably shouldn't use one.

The single most important job of a fuse is to prevent the flow of electrical current when some condition occurs. That condition may be the maximum safe amount of current flowing in a circuit. It could be the maximum safe temperature around the fuse being reached. Inside an ECM or BCM (vehicle computer) fuses may be set(conducting) at the factory allowing the module to be programmed and cleared(not conducting) when the module is ready to be delivered to a customer. These firmware fuses are sometimes resetable with specialized equipment. Temperature controlled fuses, often called PTC(positive temperature coefficient) or NTC(positive temperature coefficient) are almost always resettable automatically when the temperature returns to normal.

The most common fuse one thinks of is the glass tube or plastic square containing a short wire and labeled with a number representing the amps(current) it will allow to flow before that wire burns up stopping current flow. That type of fuse is a one time use protection device that sacrifices itself to protect more complex and expensive equipment it is connected too. The circuits these fuses are designed for will only blow a fuse if something elsewhere in the circuit has gone wrong. The fuse is only the indicator that something has gone wrong, it is almost never the root cause of a problem. Because the fuse takes a certain amount of time to blow after the excess current condition occurs, it can still allow damaging levels of current to reach the protected equipment for brief periods. Therefore it is very unwise to just keep replacing fuses in a circuit that blows them. It is even worse to replace the fuse with a resettable device such as a circuit breaker or automatically resettable circuit breaker.

These devices do exist. They operate on the principle of a temperature controlled fuse. Higher levels of current through a fixed resistance cause increased heat production. A bimetalic strip expands and breaks contact instead of burning an internal wire. When the bimetalic strip cools, the contacts can be reconnected. The major problem that can occur with these devices is the spark produced at the contacts when they make or break. The contacts can weld themselves together with the heat from this spark, unnoticed by anyone. This results in an unprotected circuit and possible fire condition.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Is there a fuse that fixes itself?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Where is the fuse in a acer aspire l320?

There is no fuse in the unit itself. The fuse in the charger in in the plug.


When you break your brake lights don't come on is it a fuse or bulb on an Audi a4 2003?

could be either or, simply replace one bulb to see if that fixes it if not check the fuse


Replacing a thermostate on a 2000 Camaro?

insert gyro pulsalate repulsion foam and it practically fixes itself


Where is the stereo fuse 2003 fiesta?

in the fuse box or behind the stereo itself


Does the wiper pump have a separate fuse?

Whether or not your wiper pump has a separate fuse depends on the make and model of your vehicle. Check the service manual, the owner's manual, or inside the fuse box itself for a fuse diagram. It will indicate if the wiper pump motor is on a fuse by itself or if the fuse is shared.


What causes the ac in a Lincoln LS to blow hot air instead of cold air?

Checck fuse # 1 its a 15 amp fuse and its probably blown, change it and hope it fixes it if it does only for a while it means you have a short.


Is a fuse a circuit?

a fuse is a way to secure a circuit from owerload, so a fuse is in a way a circuit in a circuit that owerload itself and breake the circuit inside itself to not damege the rest of the circuit. OR some thing conected to that sircuit.


Where can i locate a fuse diagram for a 1991 beretta 3.1?

The fuse diagram is located in the operators handbook OR you can find it located on the backside of the fuse cover itself..


Fuse box diagram for 1995 Dodge Intrepid?

The listing of fuse size and function is shown on the back size of the fuse box cover itself.


What to do when a fuse arcs and welds itself to a receptacle?

First thing you do is turn off the power to that circuit. Then replace the fuse


How can you find a diagram of the fuse box for Hyundai Sonata?

the diagram is on the inside of the fuse box itself... both of them in fact


Where is the radio fuse on a Porsche 996?

There are 2. 1 is behind the radio itself and the other - 15AMP is in the fuse compartment.