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Are Fuses in Plugs Directional ?

Miss Ariel said:
In scientific equipment say an elelectron microscope were they have to perfectly calibrated spot on.
Do you think the manufacturers of said equipment have their fuses correctly aligned ?
I haven't a clue ...but you would think gear like that for example would....if there was anything in the fuse orientation...or is electricity just that ...I have no idea ?
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Big lab gear wouldn't typically be on 13A plugs but I've never seen lab equipment sold with directional fuses - beautiful oscilloscopes worth many many thousands and the like. 🤣 Some wag will say ah, but they've been calibrated with a fuse in place!
 
gavreid said:
Big lab gear wouldn't typically be on 13A plugs but I've never seen lab equipment sold with directional fuses - beautiful oscilloscopes worth many many thousands and the like. 🤣 Some wag will say ah, but they've been calibrated with a fuse in place!
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Thanks Gav
Am I right in thinking it's the rectifier inside the equipment in any piece of electrical equipment that converts it into the correct voltage ?
So thinking about fuse directionality....your equipment would do it anyway with the rectifier on the board anyway
Sorry I don't have great electrical understanding just the very basics.
Wishing you a good weekend my friend
 
Miss Ariel said:
Thanks Gav
Am I right in thinking it's the rectifier inside the equipment in any piece of electrical equipment that converts it into the correct voltage ?
So thinking about fuse directionality....your equipment would do it anyway with the rectifier on the board anyway
Sorry I don't have great electrical understanding just the very basics.
Wishing you a good weekend my friend
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A rectifier only converts AC from the mains to a raw DC the rest of the p/s establishes the required voltage and stabilises it. The fuse in the plug is only there to protect the flex, which is rated below the cables making up the mains circuit. They'll usually be additional fuses in the box which again will be there because the device is rated much below the 13A or whatever it is and might be sensitive (and expensive).

Incidentally, it is not unusal for lab instrumentation to have separate power supplies!
 
The transformer converts the AC voltage into other voltages, rectifier/s turn the AC into dirty DC, caps and maybe resistors and inductors turn that raw DC into much cleaner DC and then regulators further in the device turn it into what you need, at least in a linear supply.

In a smps, at its simplest, you have a rectifier and filter, a chopper, small flyback transformer, another rectifier and filter and an output that is measured by a feedback loop that controls the chopper.
 
sq225917 said:
The transformer converts the AC voltage into other voltages, rectifier/s turn the AC into dirty DC, caps and maybe resistors and inductors turn that raw DC into much cleaner DC and then regulators further in the device turn it into what you need, at least in a linear supply.

In a smps, at its simplest, you have a rectifier and filter, a chopper, small flyback transformer, another rectifier and filter and an output that is measured by a feedback loop that controls the chopper.
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Brilliant....I have learnt something
 
Martyn Miles said:
I have read all of this thread and doubt whether I’ve learnt anything.
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I had no idea it was supposed to be educational, Martyn. I assumed it was a spoof thread which always elicits spoof and jokey posts (mea culpa on the latter !) As far as directionality is concerned, I wonder if anyone knows if he's coming or going. :)
 
Never read so much bull$$$ in all my life.

It actually frightens me that anyone, and I mean *** ANYONE *** believes this fuse direction nonsense.
Mind you, plenty of other mis-information that gullible people believe in.
 
killie99 said:
Except you can’t use these in the UK as they do not comply with the regs and if your house burns down due to an issue with them your insurance won’t pay out, but it’s your choice, but you shouldn’t encourage others to use them without explaining the dangers.
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Yes there is that detail to take into account but irrelevant if unplugged after use.
However I confess I still have conventional fuses and gave up caring long ago.
 
Given said:
Just been on the Green Forum and in their lounge there is a post about changing plug fuses.
The poster said that the treble was much smoother after changing the direction of the fuse..i.e 180 degrees
I think he is an OCD type personally ...disects every nuance of his system...listens to the equipment type
Any of you lot tried it ?
Personally I think it's absolute Foo of the highest ...laughable order
But is there scientific proof ?
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I don't doubt that the poster hears smoother treble but it is not for any technical reason unless perhaps there was so much crud on the fuse that it was barely connecting before - unlikely!
 
I haven’t read the thread but can just imagine the responses. However, turning the fuse around the other way is a simple job and costs nothing. If you can hear a difference and have a preference then to me its 100% worth it - even if its imaginary so what.
 
No. Fuses are not directional. The reason some cables are directional is because of the way the shielding is wired.
 
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