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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
SvenNYC Offline OP
Member
Not that I'm encouraging anyone, but it has baffled me since I was a wee child.

Just how do you get the penny into the fuse socket without electrocuting yourself and have it STAY in there? Did people shove the coin into the socket and screw the burned fuse on top of it?

I've been trying this with a vertically mounted lampholder (disconnected) and USA coins of various sizes.

A 25 cent piece seems to fit the best....but it tops over and still falls out.

Have any of you run across things like this in the trade? Are there any pictures?

I've run across cartridge fuse holders with pieces of #12 wire across the clips. [Linked Image]

I would never post this sort of thing on a DIY board but since I'm among pros and semi-pros here...I assume that this is reasonbly safe to ask without giving anyone ideas? [Linked Image]

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
G
Member
Sven,
Edison base FUSE holders, used to have a slightly different configuration than the bulb holders. Same thread though. An old fuse holder had the little "button" spot for the buss side of the fuse, and it nearly overlapped the screw shell side, which is, of course the load. EASY, put a penny, or other coin (not good to use nickels, when they used real nickel, it tended to get hot under load) and screw the burned fuse over it, it usually had no problem making contact.

As for the wire clipped on both ends......... that REALLY worries you when it's a 7,200 or 19,900 volt fuse, but hey, the American Electricians Handbood still lists the amperage a conductor will "fuse" at, but I don't have the book with me to give the section.

The first fuse was a piece of wire between two binding posts. I have removed these old panels, wish I had kept one now, just for show and tell, and ya just had to be careful not to use too big a piece of wire. Can still be handy in a true emergency.

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
That’s supposedly the idea behind NEC “type S” nontamperable fuses. Pennies are too large for them, and each current rating is intended to be noninterchangeable… 15A, 20A and 30A can’t be easily swapped. http://www.bussmann.com/library/bifs/1032.PDF but others make ‘em too.




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-16-2003).]

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Heck, George, I've got an old copy of the AE Handbook and still can't find it.
I have, though, had numerous instances of fire alarms connected ahead of main where I had to explain that the specs said not larger than a #8.
They all seem to think that any spec gives a minimum size, never a maximum...S

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 31
F
Member
ran into a strange one once. a receptacle had overheated and burned when i tried to turn off the circuit none of the fuses would kill it I also noticed that the lights where the panel was never went out either.On further investigation someone had removed the paper washers at the bottom of the fuse holders so every circuit in the house was basicaly tapped right of the main

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
G
Member
AEH, 12th edition Page 4-32, 13th edition Page 4-39, Figure 48A in all gives the appropriate size wire for fusing.

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 794
Likes: 3
W
Member
Once read in a newspaper or other non-technical rag that a penny stuck into a fuse holder would blow at around a thousand amps. I suspect that the branch circuit 14 gauge wire would melt first [Linked Image]

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
These are the cat's meow for getting that pesky 60-amp service rerated to 600!

[Linked Image from bussmann.com]

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Member
Bjarney,
Aahh, the mysterious "solid neutral".

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
Redsy, if you're good, a stack of pennies could replace a 60A/250V cartridge fuse.

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