ohg...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > >
> > > It's a thermal fuse. I can tell you that of the several dozens or
> > > so of these fuses I've seen fail over the years, not one of them was
> > > because the XFR ran too hot,
> > >
> >
> > ** I wonder how you know that?
>
> Because bypassing them at the primary junction board allowed full
> and normal operation.
>
** Which is as expected, given that the fuse is DESIGNED to open before any harm occurs to the insulation. It is never OK for one to open afterwards.
You are completely missing the point.
>> If the fuses were rated to open that close to the normal operating
>> temp of the XFRs,
** What does it say on typical thermal fuses ?
120C or the like ?
That is way above the normal operating temp of most transformers.
> As to whether other techs experienced situations where the AC XFR
> was indeed overheating by external loads or shorted turns causing
> the fuse to open, I certainly couldn't say, nor did I. I only know
> that none of the ones I encountered were nothing more than nuisance
> failures.
>
** You cannot know that, unless you were able to check the transformer's internal temp at the time of the fuse going open.
> Strangely, the transformers that I have seen overheat and burn in older 60s and 70s vintage electronics (both TV and audio) were *not* equipped with thermal fuses. They just sat there and puked tar.
** Not strange at all, those items used a safety ground conductor and so did not need a thermal fuse for safety.
The AC transformers fitted to "double insulated" items are designed to be very safe unless they overheat - the thermal fuse prevents that one remaining scenario.
Replacing thermal fuses is a dodgy practice and bridging them out is highly dangerous.
.... Phil