Circuit breaker

[butch27]

I bought a new electric fan control unit and it has a circuit breaker with it. Do I still run through a 30 amp fuse from my fuse panel and connect to BAT on the panel?

[enjenjo]

A fuse and a circuit breaker perform the same function, they disable the circuit when it's overloaded. With a fuse, you normally have to replace it before it will work again. with a circuit breaker, it may reconnect after a cool down, or you may have to manually reset it, depending on the type.

So what do you want the circuit to do, reset automatically, or you have to reset it?

[butch27]

The word is "MAY" reset. I think I'll get rid of the circuit breaker ( there is no real way to reset it) and connect to 30 amp fuse at fuse panel. Thanks Butch

[enjenjo]

The word is "MAY" reset. I think I'll get rid of the circuit breaker ( there is no real way to reset it) and connect to 30 amp fuse at fuse panel. Thanks Butch

When I say "May" reset, there are thermal reset breakers, and manual reset breakers. Both types work well, and are used every day. Some places, you don't want the breaker to reset until a problem is correected, so in that case you would use a manual reset breaker.

[jaybee]

Headlight switches are a good example of a thermal reset breaker.

[38HAULR]

I would dump the cct breaker.    Most of these do auto reset,but when faulty can be a pain in the backside and fail in normal use then reset causing intermittent operation.  Good example was a vehicle I had that would die at any random moment,and in some scary spots like an overtaking lane on a freeway,some Klutz had wired the ignition system through a cct brkr sharing other accys,it took me ages to track this down ,the breaker had a mind of it,s own, I was able to restart the vehicle by throwing the shifter  into neutral and firing up the vehicle with other vehicles up my clacker closing in on me[the breaker was resetting after about 10 seconds].     At least with a blown fuse you can see it.   Good tip is the diagnostics.    Especially with the glass cylindrical fuse, if it is just open, most likely fatigued.   If the inside looks traumatic and blackened, then most  failure was due to a dead short,either permanent which will blow a replacement immediately or tempory[wire rubbing on something etc]  which will need investigating. If due to start up or switch on surge then up the rating or go "slow blow" version ...........Frank.

[wayne petty]

many people don't realize that there is a circuit breaker in the head light switch.... but it is only on the head light circuit..


the plug in the fuse box circuit breakers are mostly automatic reset..

when the load gets close to the max rated amperage... the bimetallic lever moves away from contact... this stops the flow of current before it reaches the wire insulation melting temp... once stopped.. the bimetallic lever cools a bit and reconnects the circuit...    hence the reason that head lights sometimes flash off and on , off and on...  either the switch is going bad... or there is a short to the headlight circuit...

on a manual reset circuit breaker the bimetallic lever goes past a latch...   so you have to push the button to reset it...

if you really want something easier... try a fuseable link...   you do need the amp draw of the motor to figure out which size...      or just go 4 sizes smaller than the wires that hook up the motor ...   so if the wire size is 14 gauge..   use an 18 gauge fuseable link...   you only need 4 or 5 inches of fuseable link wire right at where the

[crdnblu]

Before considering a fusible link, I'd strongly suggest that you look @ this "link"

http://www.ronfrances.com/pic/chart-file14.pdf

[wayne petty]

thats neat....     almost like a fireworks fuse...     fizz fizz pop


that is also the reason i mentioned using 4 inches or so...    contains the burn to the area close to the supply of power...  

in many cars... there are tons of fusable links...    in front wheel drive cads    there are spider webs of them...   all coming out of terminal blocks under the hood.. usually on a inner fender...

but thanks... for that fiery image...

i was only giving the guy options...

one thing...  fusable link has soft silicone like outer insulation... really soft..  the wire is very soft also...  flexable...   i have gotten some premade sections... out of the little packages... that were not fusable link.. but really stiff teflon insulated wire..   good for high temps... not good to use as a fuse..  somebody in china where those were put together really did not understand what it was for....

wayne

spreading information as wide as my waist size...

[butch27]

My electrics are under the seat. I',m afraid of fuseable links, I'd rather blow a fuse. Thanks for the input. Butch