ECN Forum
Posted By: SPSchuman Fuse blower plug? - 07/20/19 09:02 PM
[Linked Image from exedes.com] [Linked Image from exedes.com] [Linked Image from exedes.com]
Someone suggested this plug, with its loop of wire, was designed specifically to blow a fuse so you'd know which circuit the outlet was on. Does that sound right? Could it have served any other purpose?
Posted By: IanR Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/22/19 11:56 AM
Well, while it may not sound right, it sure sounds believable. There is never seems to be any shortage of Darwin Award contestants. I can't really think of any other use. Perhaps a warped idea of safety protection. Bolt the circuit you are working on, in case someone else energizes it?
Posted By: geoff in UK Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/22/19 12:14 PM
Perhaps for a testing purpose? e.g. Identifying unconnected neutrals to pair off with corresponding lives when wiring a distribution board?
Posted By: gfretwell Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/23/19 05:18 AM
I am surprised the prongs on the plug are not more burned. I am thinking this is a joke. It certainly was not used much.

OTOH if it was a safety thing, sort of a fail safe LOTO, that might make sense. The guy replacing the fuse might be surprised tho.
Posted By: Hemingray Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/26/19 03:06 PM
This looks more like it may be used for a remote switch application: The other terminal on there probably goes out to the corresponding female pin on the other side. With this you'd take a switch of any properly rated type, some lamp cord, and make a tabletop lamp switch or similar.

Why someone did it this way, I will never know.
Posted By: emolatur Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/26/19 08:23 PM
Originally Posted by gfretwell
OTOH if it was a safety thing, sort of a fail safe LOTO, that might make sense. The guy replacing the fuse might be surprised tho.


... when I first started, I did something like this. I was so paranoid of making a mistake that I had a multiple-stage test before working on anything. The final stage was to dead short it, first to verify the power was off and second to make sure it stayed that way.



Originally Posted by Hemingray
This looks more like it may be used for a remote switch application: The other terminal on there probably goes out to the corresponding female pin on the other side.


I believe this is the correct answer.
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/29/19 05:40 PM
The center screw might have been a ground (EGC) ?

Perhaps it is steup to 'ring out' non-energized circuits. ie: one prong shorted to ground??

Has anyone done a continuity check? What is the center screw attached to on the receptacle side? Looks like the 'hole' the wire is poked thru could have been a ground! Or am I dreaming ??
Posted By: SPSchuman Re: Fuse blower plug? - 07/31/19 02:24 PM
Thanks for your suggestions. The plug is on its way to the Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets (so I can't perform any tests on it).
Posted By: Trumpy Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/02/19 06:20 AM
I have the New Zealand version of this plug in my toolbox.
We call it an interrupted phase tap-on plug.
The pin that plugs into the wall is connected via that wire to the other side (where you plug an appliance into).
This allows you to measure the current flow through the appliance.

I hope this makes sense.
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/02/19 05:44 PM
Ah...you put an Amprobe on the wire!!!
Posted By: Bill Addiss Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/14/19 03:25 AM
Thanks Mike!

Now that makes sense...

smile
Bill
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/16/19 05:29 PM
Trumpy:

Matter of fact, Amprobe made (or still does) an adaptor to place 'in-line' with a load at a receptacle that the jaws fit into.

Unfortunatley, a lot of my test equip. was lost in the Superstorm Sandy floods.
Posted By: Bill Addiss Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/18/19 01:01 AM
Originally Posted by HotLine1
Matter of fact, Amprobe made (or still does) an adaptor to place 'in-line' with a load at a receptacle that the jaws fit into.


yup. Like this or something else?

[Linked Image from licensedelectrician.com]
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/19/19 06:07 PM
That's it Bill. Mine was black and an Amprobe accessory back then.
Posted By: grich Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/19/19 11:09 PM
This one's been around a few decades...we have two of them at the shop.
[Linked Image]

Attached picture amp.jpg
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: Fuse blower plug? - 08/20/19 05:50 PM
Thank you for that; i still have the Amprobe, but none of the accessories.
Posted By: gfretwell Re: Fuse blower plug? - 10/13/19 07:23 PM
I have a short heavy duty zip cord extension cord like you use for window shakers (14ga) and I separated one of the conductors for my probe.
© ECN Electrical Forums