Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everyone,

On my recent trip away I had to do a bit of electrical fault finding, easy enough as I checked the fuse first. Upon inspection I saw that all of the plastic had melted off the fuse and left me with just the metal. I changed the fuse and the replacement started melting instantly.

I have done some searching, some say it's cheap fuses and get ceramic ones but I would rather it melt and stop working than get super hot and stay in tact. Others say it is dirty connection, this seems possible but I thought id get some other opinions.

The fuse was for the split charger. The set up is, in brief, 240 into trip box, trip box via offending fuse to split charger.

Anybody got any ideas?

Can you explain the setup a little clearer, I've never heard of a trip box.....and you mention 240? are we talking mains charging? if so what is this to do with split charging?

Martin

and what value is the fuse.

The function of the fuse is to blow when too much current flows, so if the body of the fuse melts but leaves the fuse strip intact then the current flowing is not exceeding the fuse rating.
The usual culprit is a loose holder and tarnished contacts BUT as you know....quality ceramic fuses and not those cheap plastic ones.

The other question would be about your leisure/split charge ratings.....as many of these systems are adequate at best and benefit by having some 'overhead' built in for those initial 'after weekend' charge surges (heavily discharged battery after a weekends camping and the initial high current charge on starting.)
Bigger relays, heavier duty wire, maxi fuse holders etc etc.

Martin

California Dreamin wrote:Can you explain the setup a little clearer, I've never heard of a trip box.....and you mention 240? are we talking mains charging? if so what is this to do with split charging?

Six million dollar question(s)

whereabouts in Coventry are you? PM me if you don't want it public knowledge...

Thanks for response. I will try and answer some questions. Sorry for being brief on set up. As far as I am aware the set up is, when on mains hook up, the mains hook up goes into what I called 'trip box', it is like a house fuse box but smaller. Again sorry for poor explination, I was tired and wrong. From the fuse box it goes via a (I think 15a) car type fuse and into an 'inter-power battery charger'. From here to battery.

I work in stafford but house is in exhall, only go home at weekends.

Thanks again, hope I didn't miss anything.

steane wrote:Thanks for response. I will try and answer some questions. Sorry for being brief on set up. As far as I am aware the set up is, when on mains hook up, the mains hook up goes into what I called 'trip box', it is like a house fuse box but smaller. Again sorry for poor explination, I was tired and wrong. From the fuse box it goes via a (I think 15a) car type fuse and into an 'inter-power battery charger'. From here to battery.

I work in stafford but house is in exhall, only go home at weekends.

Thanks again, hope I didn't miss anything.

OK...if I'm reading this correctly you have an auto fuse holder and fuse protecting the mains feed to your battery charger, which is a complete no no!
Any 'fuse' on the 230volt side, should be a domestic type (the kind you find in a 13amp house plug) the easiest way to wire is to have a domestic trailing socket and standard (fused) 3 pin domestic plug.
That charger probably only needs a 3amp fuse on the 230volt side.

Martin

steane wrote:From the fuse box it goes via a (I think 15a) car type fuse and into an 'inter-power battery charger'. From here to battery.

I hope you're mistaken or confused. There is NO WAY ANY CIRCUIT leaving the Consumer Unit/Tripbox should have a car type fuse in it.......unless you mean the circuit leaving the battery charger to the battery.

I'd say hang on till the weekend and I'll have a look for you but I'm at Camperjam this weekend which of course is sod's law

unless you're going to Camperjam or a can hold fire until the weekend after...

should look something like this. From the left, RCD box connected to plug socket connected via plug to mains charger

And if you're in Exhall, I am just the other side (Bedworth)

I may be mistaken people I am not with the van to check but I believe it may well be trip thingy to charger, then the problem fuse and finally to battery. I will get there in the end. However, I will definitely be checking this out. Unfortunately I am not going camperjam and I am working away for a while after this weekend, till November

I will have a look this weekend to confirm the set up is as above and clean connections, add new fuse and watch...

Thanks for the help, and maybe striking the fear of God into me, which I deserved.

Covkid, I'll be keeping an eye out.

well thats slightly less worrying (if the auto fuse is between charger and battery) Now begs the question...how powerful is the battery charger? if you don't know then post the name/model on the unit.

Martin

For reasons unknown to me I have a picture of the sticker on it if that helps....

its a 10 amp charger by the looks of it, pretty standard output. I think one of the reasons for the fuse getting so hot is resistance in the cable? Have you felt the cable along its length to see if its hot as well?

I have not, I was away at the time. My mrs said turn it off let's go to the pub, that is the edited version. I have a basic understanding of electronics (although having read the above i don't sound like it) and resistance was what I was drawn to, hence the not discounting dirty connection. I didn't however think of cable having to high a resistance, may be worth an investigation. Does anybody know how thick cable should be for a 10a circuit off the top of their head?