200 amp circuit breaker

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michael.laroya

Member - Posts: 21

Joined: January 16, 2008

Location: California, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 10:33 AM / IP Logged

Ok maybe a dumb question but my friends amp got burned out this weekend, he has only one amp and the manual says to use a 120amp fuse on the battery but he was running it off a 80 amp fuse and was working great for about a week then the fuse blew out. So he went out to get a new fuse (a 120amp) fuse and couldn't find one so he got a 150 amp fuse when he hooked it up and tried it out all of a sudden smoke was comming out of the amp and now does not work.

So I am teriffied of putting a 200amp circuit breaker on my system when my system only needs about a 100 amps. Will putting a 200amp circuit breaker on a system that only needs 100 amps damage my system? I also have a dsitrubition block in the back with additional fuses.

bighead

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slipitysmooth

Member - Posts: 24

Joined: November 24, 2003

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 10:40 AM / IP Logged

an inline fuse is not to protect the amp...the fuses on the amp serve this purpose. An inline fuse is simply to protect the wire. Also, a larger fuse will not "blow" an amp...either the amp shorted internally, or was ran at to low of a load..or the like.

KPierson

Platinum - Posts: 3,527

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Joined: April 14, 2005

Location: Ohio, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 1:35 PM / IP Logged

How big is the wire that you are putting the circuit breaking on? If the wire isn't 2 guage or smaller the 200A circuit breaker is too big.

Kevin Pierson

michael.laroya

Member - Posts: 21

Joined: January 16, 2008

Location: California, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 1:55 PM / IP Logged

0 gauge, so this will not damage any of my equipment?

bighead

theetimurban

Copper - Posts: 126

Joined: December 30, 2007

Location: South Carolina, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 1:57 PM / IP Logged

slipitysmooth wrote:

not to protect the amp...the fuses on the amp serve this purpose.

I disagree, what about the amps that don't have onboard fuses?

KPierson

Platinum - Posts: 3,527

Joined: April 14, 2005

Location: Ohio, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 2:52 PM / IP Logged

No, it won't damage your equipment and it will protect the wiring.

If the amp doesn't have a fuse in it, you should add a fuse inline near the amp. The fuse at the battery is to protect the wiring, not the amp.

Kevin Pierson

theetimurban

Copper - Posts: 126

Joined: December 30, 2007

Location: South Carolina, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 7:51 PM / IP Logged

KPierson wrote:

If the amp doesn't have a fuse in it, you should add a fuse inline near the amp. The fuse at the battery is to protect the wiring, not the amp.

Well yeah. I guess what I should have said was, inline fuses aren't just to protect the wiring.

i am an idiot

Platinum - Posts: 13,723

Joined: September 21, 2006

Location: Louisiana, United States

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 7:58 PM / IP Logged

The 80 amp fuse blew because there was a problem with the amplifier. The amp blew up and blew the fuse. The 150 amp fuse did not blow the amp, it was already blown.

haemphyst

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Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: April 15, 2008 at 8:49 AM / IP Logged

I was TRYING to post this yesterday, but the power went out at my office... I was able to actually copy and save, though, you lucky, LUCKY kids! 200 amp circuit breaker -- posted image.

200 amp circuit breaker -- posted image.

If an amp is built with no fuse protection, the manual SHOULD tell you what size fuse to use for IT'S protection. I would personally NEVER buy anything that isn't built with it's own overcurrent protection, and any RESPECTABLE manufacturer wouldn't either.

For a manufacturer to build a device with no overcurrent protection is just plain stupid, and unsafe. To assume that the user will provide it correctly is a guarantee that they will either have a lawsuit on their hands (for burning someones car to the ground), or a HUGE warranty department (for repairing all of the fried amplifiers that will inevitably make it back to them).

But slipitysmooth is completely correct. The underhood fuse is to protect the primary power wire and the car, and should be sized to the MAXIMUM AMPACITY OR LESS for the wire in which it is installed:

#8 - 100A

#4 - 150A

#2 - 225A

1/0 - 300A

Issues with this statement? Please read this thread...

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

theetimurban

Copper - Posts: 126

Joined: December 30, 2007

Location: South Carolina, United States

Posted: April 15, 2008 at 7:52 PM / IP Logged

haemphyst wrote:

and any RESPECTABLE manufacturer wouldn't either...

Sure 'bout that? http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=120&i=136HD7501&search=jl+amp&tp=115

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