Skip to main content

Better Safe Than Sorry

In this episode - Better Safe Than Sorry . . .

Can you identify the device in the photo? Here's a clue: it's the size of your thumbnail and functions as a safety device that shields an electrical circuit from excessive current flow. Often found in modern-day furnaces, this device is a 3-amp fuse. Fuses are essential components in electrical systems to protect equipment and wiring from overcurrent conditions that can cause electrical fires or damage other electrical components.

We recently had our home repainted and had to remove all the light fixtures, electrical outlet covers, heater grates, and the thermostat that manages our HVAC system. An electrician advised me that it's important to unplug your furnace from its electrical outlet, cover exposed wires with electrical tape or wire nuts, or shut down the power from the circuit breaker panel box before starting any electrical work. Why? Because the thermostat, connected to the furnace, is powered by a DC transformer that is commonly damaged if not protected by a fuse. The "3" on this fuse indicates its current rating. This means the fuse will allow up to three amperes (or three amps) of electrical current to flow without blowing or "tripping" a circuit. If the current exceeds three amps due to a short circuit (wires touching) or some other fault in the circuit, the fuse will heat up and melt, breaking the circuit and cutting off the flow of electricity. This action protects the connected devices and prevents potential damage or fire.

Fuses are available in various sizes and current ratings, the appropriate rating depends on the specific electrical circuit and the devices connected. Using a fuse with too high a current rating for a circuit can lead to inadequate protection while using one with too low a rating can result in frequent, unnecessary fuse blows. Selecting the right fuse for a given application is essential to ensure safety and proper circuit protection.

A qualified electrician would easily recognize this particular fuse. However, you might need help to identify this one if you have never seen the various shapes, sizes, and capabilities of different fuses. 

Historically, (1950s & 60s) fuse panels had round fuses roughly the size of a quarter. They had a glass window that allowed you to see if the fuse was blown and the connection severed. In the movie Christmas Vacation, a modern breaker box with built-in circuit breakers acted as fuses to protect the circuits.

Also, if you have ever browsed Home Depot's electrical department, you may have seen fuses that looked like large lipstick tubes with copper ends.

Once the painting project was finished we reconnected the Nest Thermostat to its backplate, an error message appeared, "No power to the unit." We tested the power wire using an AC voltage meter, but that didn't work. You see, the thermostat operates from a DC transformer, which can easily burn out without proper protection from a fuse. Your doorbell may also use a DC transformer - on a different circuit.

When asked to check if the furnace fuse was blown, I realized I had no idea what to look for. If you are facing a similar problem, check the fuse first. Remember, electricity can be dangerous, and it's always best to call a qualified electrician if you have any doubts.

My friends, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . .  (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...
2 comments
Read more

Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way

🎩   In this special episode. How to Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way It’s 2026! Yes— this is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws! Those resolutions? Bah! Dusty and dry! We’ve tried fixing everything —so let’s ask why. Why rush and correct and improve and compare, When noticing quietly gets you right there ? So here’s a new project—no charts, no clocks, No boxes to check in your mental inbox. It’s bigger than busy and smaller than grand, It’s called Un-Working —now give me your hand! Un-Working’s not quitting or hiding away, It’s setting things down that shout “Hurry! Hey!” The hustle! The bustle! The faster-than-fast! The gotta-win-now or you’re stuck in the past! That’s the work of Un-Working— plop! —set it free! The titles! The labels! The “Look-At-Me!” The crown that kept sliding and pinching your head— You never looked comfy . . . let’s try this instead: Pick up a tel...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Thought Experiment–Revisited

In this episode. The Thought Experiment–Revisited The Boy on a Light Beam In 1895, a sixteen-year-old boy did something we rarely allow ourselves to do anymore. He stared into space and let his mind wander. No phone. No notes. No “Optimization Hacks” for his morning routine. Just a question: What would happen if I chased a beam of light—and actually caught it? That boy was Albert Einstein . And that single act of curiosity—a Gedankenexperiment , a thought experiment—eventually cracked open Newton’s tidy universe and rearranged our understanding of time itself. Not bad for an afternoon of daydreaming. Imagine if Einstein had been “productive” instead. He would have logged the light-beam idea into a Notion database, tagged it #CareerGrowth, and then promptly ignored it to attend a forty-five-minute “Sync” about the color of the departmental logo. He’d have a high Efficiency Score—and we’d still be stuck in a Newtonian universe , wondering why the Wi-Fi is slow. In a post I wrote back in...
2 comments
Read more

Boy on a Beam

In this special bonus episode, Boy on a Beam. In a world long ago, when the days moved quite slow, Before buzzes and beeps and the fast things we know, A boy sat quite still on a very fine day, Just staring at nothing . . . and thinking away. No tablets! No gadgets! No screens shining bright! No earbuds stuck in from morning till night. No lists, no charts, and no chores to be done. He just sat there thinking—that's quiet-time fun! His name was Young Albert. He sat in his chair, Thinking of things that weren’t really there. “Suppose,” said Young Albert, with eyes open wide, “I ran super fast with my arms by my side! Suppose I ran faster than anyone knew, And caught up to sunshine that zoomed past me—too! If I hopped on its back for a light-speedy ride, What secrets would I find tucked away deep inside?” “Would stars look like sprinkles, all shiny and small? Would UP feel like sideways? Would BIG feel like Tall?” He giggled and wondered and thought, and he dreamed, Till his head fel...
Post a Comment
Read more