How do fuses in series react?

How do fuses in series react? If I had a 60 amp fuse at the battery, then another 60 amp at the positive distribution block, and another 60 amp at the negative distribution block, the over all rating would still be 60 amps right, and not 180 amps, and at least one would still blow at 60 amps of current draw. I covered all this in basic electronics, but that was 10 years ago, and my retention seems to have deteriorated.

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I searched for about 30 mins, and couldn't find the exact answer I was looking for.

In series the will work like a chain.  If the 'weakest link' fails, the whole chain fails.  Why are you choosing to use so many fuses?  I've never heard or anyone using a fuse at the ground.  Definitely seems overkill.

Now if you could wire in parallel, you could get up to 180 - from what I'm understanding, but it is definitely NOT advised.

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Right, paralleling fuses is not advisable.  An over-current or other failing could cause one to burn and then there would be insufficient protection left in the remaining fuse(s).  And you wouldn't know unless you happened to look at it. 

There is no series value in fuses.  As coppellstereo said, the closest fuse to the failure will burn up and the connection will be closed.  But what you are talking about is three individual wires, each protected by their own fuse.  That's a correct application.  EXCEPT, you must take that fuse out of the ground wire!  It's not overkill, but improper.  If the fuse should fail for any reason, you would have an electronic appliance attached to a power source but without a ground connection.

Think of wire fuse's amp ratings in terms of per wire instead of accumulative.  That's what the fuses are there for:  to keep the wires from starting fires.  Select the fuse that will accommodate the wire's amperage capacity. 

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

stevdart wrote:

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If the fuse should fail for any reason, you would have an electronic appliance attached to a power source but without a ground connection.

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Except in a 12V application, there is no "ground". Technically, it is a current return path or a negative. While (again, technically) the neutral and the (earth) ground are the same thing in the US, DC distribution functions very differently than 120V AC distribution. There is one ground (return) in DC, but on the AC side, the ground is attached to the chassis of the device for protection. (This is not so in a DC circuit - without a negative, the device simply does not work) If the "neutral" fails, the power coming into the appliance through the "hot" side is shorted to earth ground, rather than into you. There is NEVER (or at a minimum, should never be) current on the ground leg in an AC distribution system, except in a fault condition. Even if the device continues to function, you are safe, BECAUSE of the "earth" ground.

The REAL reason you never fuse the ground is because IF your ground fuse blows, but you B+ fuse does NOT blow, all of a sudden ALL of that current is now looking for another path. That path is generally your RCA cables. Most devices today do use isolated grounds on the signal wires, but many do not. Do you think the ground traces in your deck or amplifier can handle 60A of current? I'll answer that for ya - NO. It's gonna burn something, and it's gonna be expensive. Get rid of that fuse block in your ground NOW... This is also the same reason you should always make solid ground connections BEFORE powering your devices up!

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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."