electrical question

[kashman]

sometihng i heard on the radio the other nite ....why is the common household FUSE 13 amp...why not 10 or 15 ,20 maybe ? its stumped dr karl and he knows everything..........and me mrs as well ,and she definately knows everything(so she tells me)......any electrictians out there know the answer?

[tikay]

Dunno Kash, but some bright spark willl........

[ifm]

it's to do with the wattage of the appliance i think.
The most wattage for a uk appliance is around 3000 (heaters i think are the highest) and a 13 amp fuse will cover that.
you wouldn't fit a higher ampage fuse because it would sort of make it redundant as a safety precaution.
why specifically 13amp? cuz it covers the highest wattage permitted in the uk
lower amp fuses are used on lesser wattaged (sp?) appliances

[lvlarc_uk]

Ye anything over 1200 Watt should use a 13amp fuse.

[RED-DOG]

When the Egyptians first discovered electricity in 6047bc, it was believed to be the force emited by amporiod, the 13th child of the sun God Ra

It was thought electricity could be used to prevent the world from falling in to chaos, so the Egyptians colected it in large earthenware pots called fusems and used it in the sacraficial slaying of crocodiles

The term '13 amp fuse' has no real meaning nowadays, it's just a relic from another time and place

Hope this helps

Regards, Tom

[Robert HM]