Hello All:
I have a plater machine that is about 10 years old and has had the
same 5amp fuse in it since I got it. In the last 2 weeks I have gone
thru 5 fuses. They just pop as I electrocleaning. Any ideas? should
I just use a bigger fuse?
Michael R. Mathews, Sr.
Michael
Check your leads to make sure there isnt anything that is creating
resistance , if your leads are old replace them. I had the same
problem with mine and my plater is 20+ years old. I replaced the
connection and used a SLO-BLO fuse, but I remember putting foil in
the fuse to get me through electro stripping. (thats a NO-NO)
Hopes this helps
TC
Cecenas jewelry
in the Midwest
I have a plater machine that is about 10 years old and has had the same 5amp fuse in it since I got it. In the last 2 weeks I have gone thru 5 fuses. They just pop as I electrocleaning. Any ideas? should I just use a bigger fuse?
Absolutely not! Chronic fuse blowing is due to a short circuit,
probably in your power supply. Using a fuse rated at more amperage
will most likely cause a big problem like, say, a fire. Take it to a
qualified electronics technician, or send it in to the factory.
Yeah, I know, electronics technician’s bench fees are steep, but
aren’t all bench fees? At any rate, it’d be a lot cheaper than the
results of a fire in your shop.
James in SoFl
Hello Michael,
I had exactly the same problem with a new machine, I wonder if it was
the same one. The supplier was not at all helpful about fixing it,
but they did suggest that I run the electro-cleaning at a lower
voltage. Since I have been cleaning at 4 volts it has not blown a
fuse in 5 years, but I probaly use it only around 10 times a year.
Stephen Walker
I have a plater machine that is about 10 years old and has had the same 5amp fuse in it since I got it. In the last 2 weeks I have gone thru 5 fuses. They just pop as I electrocleaning. Any ideas? should I just use a bigger fuse?
bigger, no. Not a good idea. The variable transformer (variac)
that most likely controls the voltage could easily blow if you feed
it too much current. The little wiper arms on those things are the
weak point, and that’s often the most costly componant in these power
supplies…
But I’d wonder whether the problem might be the type of fuse. It
may have originally had a slow blow type fuse in it that could
withstand a brief spike. If you replaced it with fast blowing types,
your fuses would not last long, even when the amperage rating is the
same.
And then there’s the quick fix suggestion to just not turn the
voltage up so high when electrocleaning… That process works just
fine at just about any setting. The speed of cleaning is the main
thing that changes with lower settings. So long as you’re getting
some good bubbling at all, you’re cleaning the work.
Peter
Yes, you can save a lot of money by just putting in a bigger fuse - I
hear the cost of a good arsonist has tripled in recent years. Or, you
could just pour gasoline all over, and burn your house down
yourself… You have a short circuit - my guess is that more
likely you are CREATING a short circuit. If you turn on the
rectifier, and it doesn’t blow, then the machine is probably fine.
Question? Are you letting the wires, or the piece on the wire, touch
each other? If that happens - instant blown fuse - Your proverbial
short circuit. Otherwise, get someone who doesn’t want to put in a
bigger fuse to crack open the box and look for crossed wires or
burned insulation…
thru 5 fuses. They just pop as I electrocleaning. Any ideas? should I just use a bigger fuse?
Your machine is SCREAMING at you to find and fix the short BEFORE IT
KILLS YOU. A bigger fuse will NOT help and may encourage the machine
to KILL you INSTANTLY.
Unplug the machine IMMEDIATELY and get it fixed. DO NOT CONTINUE TO
USE IT. DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE IT IS PLUGGED IN and stay at least 5
feet away if it’s turned on now. If you must, turn it off at the
fuse/breaker box before unplugging it.
James E. White
G’day; when a fuse on some appliance ‘blows’ frequently there is a
reason for it, and the reason is because the appliance is taking
more current than it should, owing to a fault. DO NOT JUST KEEP
REPLACING THE FUSE Check our the reason and fix that, or get someone
with appropriate knowledge to do it. The fuse is there as a safety
measure, and is an essential one at that. Do you want the house
wiring to heat up and set fire to the place?
Cheers for now,
JohnB of Mapua, Nelson NZ
Hello All:
Thanks to everyone who responded to my query.
I have a plater machine that is about 10 years old and has had the same 5amp fuse in it since I got it. In the last 2 weeks I have gone thru 5 fuses. They just pop as I electrocleaning. Any ideas? should I just use a bigger fuse?
I am going to try “Slow Blow” type fuses, replace my leads and
reduce my voltage. If I still have the problem I am going to replace
the unit.
Michael R. Mathews, Sr.
Several issues to check when any equipment starts to blow fuses:
Look for any signs of overheating; discolored plugs, wiring etc.
Most equipment lists the amperage somewhere on it (A requirement of
most rating services) Wattage = volt x amp
If it has a motor it will draw a high current (amps) to start and
should have a slow blow fuse.
With the power DISCONNECTED (not just switched off) check for loose
or corroded connections. A poor connection draws current, drops
voltage, overheats etc.
Dan Wellman
I am going to try "Slow Blow" type fuses, replace my leads and reduce my voltage. If I still have the problem I am going to replace the unit.
I again STRONGLY urge you to BRING IN COMPETENT SERVICE PEOPLE
NOW. I sincerely hope you don’t get hurt trying stop gap
measures you heard MIGHT work over the internet. Even if someone else
is TEMPORARILY getting away with them it DOES NOT MEAN that you will,
or even that their equipment is experiencing the SAME problem yours
is.
James E. White
Inventor, Marketer, and Author of “Will It Sell? How to Determine If
Your Invention Is Profitably Marketable (Before Wasting Money on a
Patent)” Info Sites: www.willitsell.com www.inventorhome.com,
www.idearights.com www.taletyano.com www.booksforinventors.com
The core concept of a fuse is that it provides a weak link in the
system which will break first in the event of device malfuntion in
order to
1.) spare other components of the device from destruction, meltdown,
fire, etc
and
2). to keep the device operator from getting blown out of his/her
socks due to short circuit.
The fuse in the unit is the one which was specifically selected by
the unit’s designer to allow for safe and dependable operation under
normal circumstances, as well as reliable protection in the event of
a fault with the device. If your fuses are blowing consistently,
they are probably doing their job in both protecting you and
notifying you that there is a problem elsewhere in the unit. Fix
that problem, and your fuses will stop blowing. Substitute a
non-recommended fuse and you have not only failed to fix the
problem, you have eliminated a safeguard which may currently be
protecting your unit from a total self-destruct, and/or protecting
you from high-voltage shock.
Do what you need to do to fix the root problem, for your own safety
if nothing else.
Lee Einer
Dos Manos Jewelry
http://www.dosmanosjewelry.com
Michael,
I am going to try "Slow Blow" type fuses, replace my leads and reduce my voltage. If I still have the problem I am going to replace the unit.
Have you checked the power supply for contamination? I would guess
that several substances in the studio are conductive enough to cause
an internal short circuit. Some might cause temporary problems and
burn away, while a small chip of metal could open the fuse.
I would be interested in the make up of the power supply. Your post
reads as though you get some use out of it, and then the fuse opens.
It’s easier to find a short circuit on a power supply that opens the
fuse on power up.
If the suggestions offered don’t work for you, I can walk you
through the repair.
Jeff Simkins