blow fan

[betty boop]

started Betty in prep for this weekends failed outing and noticed the blower wasnt working-Hmm - so went round to have a look and- ouch - burnt my arm on the wiring loom - having had this before on a homer simpson inflatable santa (a whole other story) - stuck my fingers in the fan- flick- now it works fine. BUT shouldnt the fuse have blown first? obvious the motor on the fan had siezed but I'm a little supprised the wiring got hotter and hotter- if I hadnt of noticed it, wot would have been the next thing to happen, blown fuse or fire?

[Ed]

Fuse must be rated too high. That's the trouble with fuses, cables etc. People choose the cheapest (thinnest) cables they can get away with for a particular job. In some cases this can mean that abnormal loads which are above the cable rating but not the fuse rating will cause the wires to burn out instead. A sudden direct short will blow the fuse much quicker than the cable could get warm to but run the cable/fuse just on its limit and fuses may not offer the protection you want.