Fuses

Fuses :

All electrical devices have fuses in their plugs, but do you know where fuses are there?

Fuses are essentially fire breaks – points of weakness that if there was a power surge, will break to prevent damage or fire.

This is achieved by the fuse’s central component, a strip or strand of metal which has a low breaking capacity. The metal’s breaking capacity is the maximum current that can be passed through it safely, while anything above that will cause it to melt and break the circuit. Zinc, copper, silver and aluminium are all commonly used as fuse wire.

The fuse wire is placed between two terminals, wrapped in a non-conductive material and then put in place. Then, if a power surge happens, the fuse will break, severing the connection, closing the circuit and minimising further damage.