16 Feb
2006
16 Feb
'06
10:56 a.m.
On 2/16/2006 at 12:27 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote:
Yes, the standard mains plug over here is rated at 13A, and contains a
cartridge fuse (nromally, 3A, 5A, or 13A). Obviously PSUs with a mains
cable are fitted with such a plug which contains a fuse (even moulded-on
mains plugs [1] have a fuseholder and fuse)
[1] %deity I hate those things. I've had all sorts of problems with them,
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 from live/neutral reversed, to no strain relief on the
cable... I cut
them off and put a rewireable plug on the cable.
But wall warts seem never to contain fuses, relying instead on the
transformer burning out in a safe way. Since the fuse in the fusebox is
generally rated at 30A, I am not very happy about this.
I never use wall warts for homebrew projects. I build my own PSU, with
fuses all over the place. OK, I can't stick an approval label on it, but
I am darn sure it's safer.
-tony