Richard, John, Not a true statement >>>>> a fuse protects the compete circuit
in which it is inserted.
There is NO downstream vs upstream protection differentiation. A circuit is a
circuit. The end points of a 'circuit' are the + and the - connections [live
and earth connections]. If the current flowing between those terminal points
through relays, bulbs, wires - whatever, exceeds the max current rating of the
fuse inserted in that circuit [eg 15 amps] then the fuse will blow and open
that circuit and cause any further undesirable current rise to cease
immediately.
So if there is a short inside the relay coil as an example and the current
flowing in that circuit rises above the 15 amps, the fuse blows and no further
current flows as the circuit is then 'open'. By that time the relay coil may
or may not be damaged [whatever caused the sudden increase in the current up
to the 15 amps trigger/blow point will be probably damaged], but the chances
are there will be no fire caused by a potentially prolonged higher current
with consequential heating and ignition of plastic, gas or whatever.
Fuses are simply 'goodness', and can protect valuable old elctrical devices
from total burnout and more importantly from igniting fires that can spread
rapidly. Obviously the value of the fuse in any circuits should have a value
that is 'slightly' higher than the total current that is designed to flow in
that circuit. So if 2 driving lights will normally take 10 amps when both are
switched on, the fuse in the power circuit to the bulbs should be 15 amps
max - not 50 amps.
Robert N. Blair
Yellow 65BJ8
RNBmail@yahoo.com
--- On Tue, 1/1/13, Richard Ewald <richard.ewald@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Richard Ewald <richard.ewald@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Another con - fused question
To: "john spaur" <jmsdarch@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "Healey List" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2013, 11:03 AM
Only items downstream from the fuse will be protected by that fuse. So if
you put the fuse downstream of the relay, the relay won't be covered. If
you put it upstream on the relay the relay will be protected.
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