Seizing wire as a fuse

[Haddock1]

Hi
After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?
Thanks
Mike

[fourlyons]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Hi

After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?

Thanks

Mike

Sure, it will work, but of course it's quite risky, as I'm sure you know. If you have to do this, you should at least start with the smallest diameter wire that works. You want the improvised fuse to burn before the windlass wire even warms up. It sounds like you have used too much wire to bridge the fuse block.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Hi
After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?
Thanks
Mike

Nope.


Fuse wire and ribbon is typically similar to solder (Pb and Sn) because it has high resistance and melts low (180C). Monel has less resistance and melts at 1350C. It will shine like a light bulb and not blow. You have no fuse.



The temporary fix is to haul the anchor by hand. Fuses don't just blow unless there is something wrong.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Hi
After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?
Thanks
Mike

No you can’t do that. Also, you only know if it works when you try to haul up the anchor because without the load of that, the windlass will only consume a fraction of the power. When you haul the anchor, it may burn immediately and even cause a fire.

You should use a breaker like this one: https://www.bluesea.com/products/714...ace_Mount_100A

[phorvati]

Yeah, you dont have a fuse, just an element that probably wastes power. You can operate windlass without a fuse if you know there are no faults. But given that you popped a fuse, you have a fault so its a fire risk. I would agree to operate by hand until a proper fuse is found. You could end up with a short across the battery, then a fire. Also, remember that a fuse or circuit breaker protects wire from catching on fire. Look at wire gauge and length and see if you can get away with larger amperage fuse, like 125a or 150a. I don't like breakers, I like fuses better. Breakers can fail short after many trips. Arcing across contacts eventually can weld them closed, no matter how good contact finish may be. Fuse never fails short.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Fuses don't just blow unless there is something wrong.

This is one of those truisms that I absolutely hate, because there's not much room for stories, excuses, and other potential faults; no real bandaids or work-arounds.

.....as said, don't run it until the fuse is replaced, don't try to find a substitute "fuse".

[ItDepends]

I'll be watching the boating news for "Barvaria 57 burns to waterline when hauling anchor."

I'd put a smilie face here, but this is very much NOT funny...

Putting MORE THAN 100 A * 24 V = 2400 Watts through a piece of seizing wire????

Are you trying for a Darwin Award? or maybe just trolling to see how riled up you can get the electrical gurus?

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by phorvati

I don't like breakers, I like fuses better. Breakers can fail short after many trips.

The other reason not to like breakers is they invite the behavior of simply shrugging and resetting the breaker instead of isolating the problem and fixing it.

[Rumrace]

I think the motor is shot. Bleeding armature.
Hand crack my friend. Same thing a starter motor does near end of life.push solder out of the coils. Rebuild kit.

[ItDepends]

Just as an extra thought from my Admiral about what a incredibly BAD idea this actually is...

Almost every boat insurance policy in the USA (at least) carries an implicit (that means not written down!) warrantee of seaworthiness. In other words the insured warrantees to the underwriters that the boat will be kept in seaworthy condition.

If you have a piece of seizing wire acting as a "fuse" your boat is, by any reasonable definition, NOT seaworthy. If such a thing was found by a claims adjuster investigating a claim for ANYTHING--even completely unrelated to the missing fuse--the claim would justifiably be denied because you failed to keep the boat in seaworthy condition.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

This is one of those truisms that I absolutely hate, because there's not much room for stories, excuses, and other potential faults; no real bandaids or work-arounds.

.....as said, don't run it until the fuse is replaced, don't try to find a substitute "fuse".

You are correct. I too could list many exceptions.



But for an individual that would jumper a fuse, it is the conservative, rule of thumb. "If you don't know for certain what caused the trip, don't use it without a proper fuse (overcurrent protection device).". It is a trueism that is only useful in the general case for beginners. All rules of thumb have exceptions and limitations.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

Just as an extra thought from my Admiral about what a incredibly BAD idea this actually is...

Almost every boat insurance policy in the USA (at least) carries an implicit (that means not written down!) warrantee of seaworthiness. In other words the insured warrantees to the underwriters that the boat will be kept in seaworthy condition.

If you have a piece of seizing wire acting as a "fuse" your boat is, by any reasonable definition, NOT seaworthy. If such a thing was found by a claims adjuster investigating a claim for ANYTHING--even completely unrelated to the missing fuse--the claim would justifiably be denied because you failed to keep the boat in seaworthy condition.

Good point. Jumpered fuses are on the short list of things insurance companies will call out as flagrant improper maintenance. It's wrong something you did knowingly.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by phorvati

Yeah, you dont have a fuse, just an element that probably wastes power. You can operate windlass without a fuse if you know there are no faults. But given that you popped a fuse, you have a fault so its a fire risk. I would agree to operate by hand until a proper fuse is found. You could end up with a short across the battery, then a fire. Also, remember that a fuse or circuit breaker protects wire from catching on fire. Look at wire gauge and length and see if you can get away with larger amperage fuse, like 125a or 150a. I don't like breakers, I like fuses better. Breakers can fail short after many trips. Arcing across contacts eventually can weld them closed, no matter how good contact finish may be. Fuse never fails short.

“After many trips” is something I can not imagine. For so far I know every windlass manufacturer recommends or even provides a breaker with their windlass. It is the norm.

[RaymondR]

SS seizing wire is metallurgically similar to the wire they use to make resisters and the wire wound heating bars in old style toasters and bar heaters. They use it because it has a very high melting point. Of all the wire types you could have used it was probably the worst choice. Copper from a multi strand electrical cable or rolled up aluminium foil would be better.

You do really need to know what caused the fuse to blow before using the winch again.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

SS seizing wire is metallurgically similar to the wire they use to make resisters and the wire wound heating bars in old style toasters and bar heaters. They use it because it has a very high melting point. Of all the wire types you could have used it was probably the worst choice. Copper from a multi strand electrical cable or rolled up aluminium foil would be better.

You do really need to know what caused the fuse to blow before using the winch again.

No, they use Nichrome wire for that. It is an alloy of Nickel and Chrome.