12 Apr
2002
12 Apr
'02
1:30 a.m.
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
Can you still get 'fuse wire' in the States?
It's commonly available over
here because many houses still have 'consumer units' (fuseboxes)
containing rewireable fuses. Typically you buy a card with 5A, 15A and
30A fuse wire wound onto it.
While I do not doubt for one moment that you can buy such things in
the UK, I would imagine that such a product is a lawsuit waiting to
happen in the States.
I grew up in a house with knob-and-tube wiring and light fixtures
fastened to the pipes of the former gas lamps with glass screw-in
fuses in the basement, not circuit breakers. The common trick of
the day when a fuse blew and you didn't have a replacement was to
drop a penny under the burned out fuse. Electrical house fires
were also common.
I think if they continued to sell supplies for homeowner-refurbished
fuses, someone, somewhere would try to use ordinary wire and burn
their house down. The difference would be that it's "obvious" that
a penny does not belong in an electrical panel. How is Joe Average
supposed to know that the fuse box takes "special" wire when one
blows?
Re: earlier discussion about stupidity leading to egregious lawsuits,
but there you are... begging for trouble.
In short: no... I have never seen "fuse wire" sold over the counter,
nor have I even _heard_ of such a thing here. Caveat: I am probably
too young to have ever seen it, even if it were ever available here.
-ethan
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