15 Feb
2006
15 Feb
'06
5:27 p.m.
On 2/16/2006 at 12:27 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote:
Very few wall-wears (at least the ones sold over here)
contain fuses any
more. The transformer is designed to burn out in a safe way if
overloaded, or so I am told -- personal experience suggests it does not
do so before the case has started to melt and smoke is coming out!
That's pretty surprising to me, considering that most UK appliances seem to
have a fuse in the mains plug (almost every one I've seen has been 13A, yet
I KNOW other values are sold). Over here, consumer electronics are usually
fused, but appliances are not, depending on the 15 or 20A distribution
panel breaker to trip.
The NEC wart that I just opened has a microfuse in the DC output. Somehow,
I'd expected to see a fuse in the transformer primary. It seems to me that
the fuse as is may protect the attached equipment, but if the transformer
developed a short in the windings, the thing would turn to slag before
opening the circuit.
Cheers,
Chuck