Martindale said; <snip>.............Size the breaker or fuse to protect the wire size it is connected to and be sure you sized the wire for the current draw on it.
Sorry guys but I must be missing something here. No, you're not missing anything; both requirements are correct, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with using a reduced size fuse or circuit breaker for the expected load. BUT.... Also make sure the protecting device will open the circuit without failing the wire. Another similar issue, is fusing the Alternator/generator load. This needs to be done "up front", in a hostile environment for fuses (heat and moisture/corrosion). It is good practice to use a short piece of wire that is smaller size, call a "fusible link" in the automotive business, usually (I think) 4 wire sizes than the main wire, so that if a short occurs, it will blow the link. A circuit breaker at the other end is not useful. Ron Freiberger mailto: rfreiber...@swfla.rr.com
