ANL fuse or circuit breaker???

[thugpassion 10+ year member]

it seems that a circuit breaker would be better than a fuse since i never have to worry about replacing fuses anymore. are there any draw backs of using a breaker as apposed to a fuse?

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[rocky 59 5,000+ posts]

fuses-5-15 bucks amps-100-100000000 bucks.

 

[thugpassion 10+ year member]

fuses-5-15 bucks amps-100-100000000 bucks.

no, a circuit breaker would pop like a fuse would blow. breaker runs me $2 less than a fuse holder and fuses and i never have to worry about replacing fuses again.

 

[rocky 59 5,000+ posts]

right but i dont trust them i would rather replace fuses than amps

 

[thugpassion 10+ year member]

i'd rather press a reset button than replace a fuse!

im really looking for someone who has experience with circuit breakers... anyone????

 

[duckfart 10+ year member]

Fuses are very cheaps though . How often do u replace them?

 

[bibby 5,000+ posts]

I have a 150 amp circuit beraker ive had through two cars, and sveral differnt installs, just throws it, you fix what threw it, go pop it back in, and keep going, repeat if neccesary, i would reccomend, A+++++

 

[thugpassion 10+ year member]

I have a 150 amp circuit beraker ive had through two cars, and sveral differnt installs, just throws it, you fix what threw it, go pop it back in, and keep going, repeat if neccesary, i would reccomend, A+++++

thats what i was looking for, thanks bibby. i'll be using a 160A breaker if i decide to go that route and right now im leaning that way.

i know fuses are cheap moneys not the issue and i dont replace them often but its the thought that it could be so simple. it makes it seem like a no brainer other than not many people use them. also it'll make my install a tad easier.

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

thats what i was looking for, thanks bibby. i'll be using a 160A breaker if i decide to go that route and right now im leaning that way.
i know fuses are cheap moneys not the issue and i dont replace them often but its the thought that it could be so simple. it makes it seem like a no brainer other than not many people use them. also it'll make my install a tad easier.

but i've heard a lot of problems with breakers.

fire hazard, can arc weld itself together, amperage ratings increase with time..

etc

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Every time you trip the breaker (either through overcurrent or manually), you decrease its reliability. The contacts arc and pit each time it is tripped. You have no way of knowing the extent of the pitting or the effect that it has on the rating of the breaker. You also have no way of knowing if it has corroded shut entirely. The main fuse is there to protect the CAR, not the amps. I have yet to hear of a fuse failing to blow in the case of a short. I can't say the same about a breaker tripping. I won't ever risk my car just to save a couple bucks.

 

[m3transporter 10+ year member]

i used a 100 amp one in my last few setups...it is convinient.

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

ive used several over the years..never had any problems.

of coarse, ive had a live piece of 1/0 stripped a good 1.5"s in my trunk w/o fuses flopping around for like a year now. never had a problem with that either...lol

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

Fuses are a lot safer than a circuit breaker. a circuit breaker will eventually stop tripping. a fuse although a bit more costly will neven not blow unless you size it to big.

 

[thugpassion 10+ year member]

i deffinately wasnt looking at it from a price POV, more as a convenience. guess i'll just stick w using a fuse.

thanks guys

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

i deffinately wasnt looking at it from a price POV, more as a convenience. guess i'll just stick w using a fuse.
thanks guys

Good call. While it might be a convinience in the beginning.. You'll end up paying more in the future.