Fuse or Circuit Breaker?

[funkycasey 10+ year member]

Are there any downsides to using circuit breakers instead of fuses?

I got a 100Amp circuit breaker with my Zapco 1000.4 amp and thought the idea was pretty cool, so was looking into getting some more for my other amps.

Where can you get lightswitch type 12volt circuit breakers with screw-on bolt terminals instead of bare wire terminals?? The ones I see on sites such as woofersetc and sonicelectronix are those Boss ones which I'm not sure I would trust....

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[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

I don't trust circuit breakers. A basic ANL fuse holder is plenty cheap and you shouldn't blow fuses. The nice thing about fuses is that I've never seen one fail to blow when it should.

 

[Linkz 10+ year member]

I would stick with the tried and true method of Fuses as helotaxi said. Dont want to toast that amp do you?//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[funkycasey 10+ year member]

I don't trust circuit breakers. A basic ANL fuse holder is plenty cheap and you shouldn't blow fuses. The nice thing about fuses is that I've never seen one fail to blow when it should.

lol, That's why I am asking. I just want to make sure that they are safe to use before actually using them in my system....I have some very expensive shyt that I am about to install....Guess I will stay with ANL fuses....no problem with them, I just thought having a nice line of circuit breakers would look nice, but I guess a line of ANL fuses will look nice as well.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Fuses aren't there to protect anything but your car. By the time an amp itself draws enough current to blow a fuse the damage is already done. In fact, it's usually the damage that causes the excessive current draw in the first place. Shorts in the power wire are what blows fuses and that is to keep the wire from melting due to a gross over-current condition and catching the car on fire.

 

[funkycasey 10+ year member]

Fuses aren't there to protect anything but your car. By the time an amp itself draws enough current to blow a fuse the damage is already done. In fact, it's usually the damage that causes the excessive current draw in the first place. Shorts in the power wire are what blows fuses and that is to keep the wire from melting due to a gross over-current condition and catching the car on fire.

You know, back in my mind somewhere I knew what you are telling me, but it did not really click until you told me that...so yea, you are definitely right. I'm gonna stick with the ANL's.

 

[Horsemanwill 10+ year member]

breakers are ok just make sure you get a breaker that uses the hall effect and not a thermal switch type breaker. a good example of a hall breaker would be Monster Audio's breaker

http://www.bcae1.com

right side number 15

 

[kovemaster559 5,000+ posts]

same ****. fuse is more accurate breaker is more convenient. that is it

 

[Blinkrazy 10+ year member]

i had a 2 fuseblocks that melted so i went to circuit breakers and haven't had a problem since

 

[shaneb 10+ year member]

same ****. fuse is more accurate breaker is more convenient. that is it

is the breaker in my house accurate? I would like to think so...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

is the breaker in my house accurate? I would like to think so...

Depends on how many times it's been tripped. Using a breaker regularly as a switch reduces its reliability.