Are Fuses from AliExpress and Amazon really dangerous? How to test yours!
Added 2024-04-03 15:00:07 +0000 UTCWhen I saw this video from Louis Rossmann or this one by Tom, a fellow HAM radio operator, I said to myself: Holy shit! I use these car fuses a lot, and I always expected that they protect my circuits from overcurrent and possible burning, but I never checked if they work. Particularly since I started to work with Lithium batteries capable of delivering huge currents and even burning if you are unlucky, the danger increased dramatically. Do I also have bad Chinese stuff? I am sure you want to know the truth, too. So, let’s check out my fuses from AliExpress and Amazon and compare them with the proper ones from Bosch. And I will show you how you can test yours without expensive gear.
Comments
Hi Sarah, I also did not think that somebody would sell such bad quality. So maybe you were also lucky and got decent ones.
Andreas Spiess
2024-04-05 15:07:51 +0000 UTCHi Ben, I did not know such fuses existed. They are so tiny! For special purposes, they are really good. And you do not need to carry a new one with you, which is an advantage if it pops on a trip. However, the "standard" price is quite high for an application where you do not expect the fuse will blow.
Andreas Spiess
2024-04-05 15:06:01 +0000 UTCOnce again, Andreas, a timely video, as I just bought a batch of fuses from Amazon. Scary tests though totally understand they are very necessary. Better to find out before using them than after a fire! Hope you are well. Take care. Sarah
Sarah Gray
2024-04-05 14:48:07 +0000 UTCI have been a fan of the ETA 1610, 1170 and 1180 series breakers that use the same footprint as the common automotive fuses. There are other styles of the ETA breakers for the mini fuses too. I like these because they offer the option of manually tripping to isolate the circuit without having to unplug them. These are great for testing so you don't have to keep throwing out popped fuses. It also doesn't help that you can often find auction lots of them on Ebay for good pricing. https://www.e-t-a.com/products/circuit_protection_devices/thermal_overcurrent_circuit_breakers/p/1610_h2/
Ben Greisler
2024-04-03 15:33:11 +0000 UTC
