Fuse rating question...

[swollen_cu 10+ year member]

So I transffered all of my old sound equipment into my newer car that I got about 4 months ago and noticed something that caught my eye just recently about the wiring that I have in my car....

Here's my set up..

AQ1200 @1ohm

Pair of Sa-8s

JL 300/2

200A 0 Gauge wiring split to Tsunami Dist block 100A to each amp..

Old set up:

Same amps..

150A Street wires 4 gauge to the AQ1200

80A RF 8 gauge to the JL3000/2

Now my question is that is my AQ1200 getting enough current from the 100A that the dist block is putting out? I'm considering ditching the 0 gauge and going back to my old wiring set up because the Aq1200 is rated at 120A (3x 40A fuses). I don't want to do any kind of damage to my amp.It just seems like in all common sense, that the AQ amp is not getting the desired power needed..

OR can I just up the fuse by the battery to a 250A and relplace the fuse at the dist block for the AQ1200 to a 150A? Seems like the easiest if possible...

Click to read more...

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

your fusing for the wire, not the amp. so it's probably best to change the fuses in general to a higher amperage. this way your wire doesnt get to hot and decide to burn up

 

[swollen_cu 10+ year member]

Sweet. So I could just change the fuse by the battery to 250A and the one on the dist block to a 150A and all is well?

Would my amp produce anymore power or would it just be safer?

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

Sweet. So I could just change the fuse by the battery to 250A and the one on the dist block to a 150A and all is well?
Would my amp produce anymore power or would it just be safer?

would just be safer overall.

 

[swollen_cu 10+ year member]

ok cool. Thanks man. I will go ahead and order some fuses or just stop by an audio shop and get some.

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

fuses have nothing to do with how many amps are being drawn through a wire. they are just there incase something shorts out.

the 100amp fuse you have in there now will do the exact same job as a 250 will. in relation to your setup.

op you sound confused about how electrical systems work.

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

I don't care what anyone says, but you are fusing for both, not just one or the other. You need to figure out the max amperage of the wire you're using (gauge/length) and the total of the amps current draw. Fuse for the lower of the 2. If your wire rating is the smaller of the 2 then you need bigger wire.

Granted a lot of amps today have internal/built-in fusing, which is where the industry has turned saying that you fuse for the wire, truth is, you fuse for both. Another reason why the gauge of wire you choose is important.

 

[swollen_cu 10+ year member]

So I shouldn't worry?

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

your fusing for the wire, not the amp. so it's probably best to change the fuses in general to a higher amperage. this way your wire doesnt get to hot and decide to burn up

The fuse is to protect the wire from getting hot, as the fuse will be what gets hot and blows as to keep the wire from getting hot, melting insulation and shorting out, thus blowing the fuse anyway. But at the same time it's that fusing that protects the amp/s. You don't want to put in more fusing then you need, cause at some point the 1 ampere in difference could be the difference between a lot of things, from a fire, to dead amp/s to.....

If the fusing is to high, then the wire will get hot and the fuse wont blow being that it was to high.

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

lol, simple, the fuse will blow if you exceed the rated current by x amount for y amount of time. you fuse for the rating of the wire near the sorce for safety, amp protection, if any is a by-product, and also for safety. if the amp blows, it will pop the fuse. no fuse could mean fire. not fusing the power cable will cause alot of heat/melting at minimum, but can cause fire and battery explosion. i've seen an 8ga melt the inside of a truck and wire harness in seconds. anywhas, buy the fuses and go with the ratings. wat will happen is the fuse will pop by you using more current than the fuse can handle. your amp has 120a fusing, so it will probably pop that 100a when you turn it up easy...

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

I don't care what anyone says, but you are fusing for both, not just one or the other. You need to figure out the max amperage of the wire you're using (gauge/length) and the total of the amps current draw. Fuse for the lower of the 2. If your wire rating is the smaller of the 2 then you need bigger wire.
Granted a lot of amps today have internal/built-in fusing, which is where the industry has turned saying that you fuse for the wire, truth is, you fuse for both. Another reason why the gauge of wire you choose is important.

If an amplifier has onboard fusing, you're fusing for the wire, period.

It won't hurt anything to go with a smaller fuse than what the wire can handle but it doesn't gain you anything either.

 

[kr15 5,000+ posts]

your amp has 120a fusing, so it will probably pop that 100a when you turn it up easy...

An amp fused at 120a will likely never pop 100a on music unless its wired below 1ohm...an amp will almost never draw max current rating, and when it does, it will be for a split second, which is not long enough to pop 100a on a 120a amp draw....and before you say Im wrong, I have my power wire fused 150a at my battery and have never popped it despite drawing about 190a at peak current draw for a split second...

in the OPs case, the amp is fused so fuse to the wires rating

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

Thus my point in my 2nd paragraph in which you quoted of me.

If an amplifier has onboard fusing, you're fusing for the wire, period.
It won't hurt anything to go with a smaller fuse than what the wire can handle but it doesn't gain you anything either.

 

[dipitydoo 10+ year member]

as someone else has said, if your amp already has fuses, any additional fusing is for the wires. your 200amp fuse at the battery should be plenty sufficient, no reason to change that. the 100amp fuses at the distribution block are probably okay, you need to make sure the wires going to each individual amp is large enough to be protected by the 100amp fuse. chances are, assuming the run is fairly short from the distro to the amps, its likely fine. if you are not blowing any of your fuses, and your wire size/length supports the fuse size, you really don't need to change anything. and no, increasing fuse size does not increase power potential from your amp.

 

[swollen_cu 10+ year member]

lol, simple, the fuse will blow if you exceed the rated current by x amount for y amount of time. you fuse for the rating of the wire near the sorce for safety, amp protection, if any is a by-product, and also for safety. if the amp blows, it will pop the fuse. no fuse could mean fire. not fusing the power cable will cause alot of heat/melting at minimum, but can cause fire and battery explosion. i've seen an 8ga melt the inside of a truck and wire harness in seconds. anywhas, buy the fuses and go with the ratings. wat will happen is the fuse will pop by you using more current than the fuse can handle. your amp has 120a fusing, so it will probably pop that 100a when you turn it up easy...

I've blasted my music for good periods of time and everything seems good.. No fuses popped...

An amp fused at 120a will likely never pop 100a on music unless its wired below 1ohm...an amp will almost never draw max current rating, and when it does, it will be for a split second, which is not long enough to pop 100a on a 120a amp draw....and before you say Im wrong, I have my power wire fused 150a at my battery and have never popped it despite drawing about 190a at peak current draw for a split second...
in the OPs case, the amp is fused so fuse to the wires rating

yup no fuses every popped..

as someone else has said, if your amp already has fuses, any additional fusing is for the wires. your 200amp fuse at the battery should be plenty sufficient, no reason to change that. the 100amp fuses at the distribution block are probably okay, you need to make sure the wires going to each individual amp is large enough to be protected by the 100amp fuse. chances are, assuming the run is fairly short from the distro to the amps, its likely fine. if you are not blowing any of your fuses, and your wire size/length supports the fuse size, you really don't need to change anything. and no, increasing fuse size does not increase power potential from your amp.

yeah the runs from the amp to dist block is like 2.5 feet maybe?

OK well I guess I got my questions answered.. thanks guys!!