These days, or at least in the Celtic Tiger era, we got into the bad habit of throwing things out when they didn’t work anymore – like the electric kettle. It’s so easy and cheap these days to pick up a new toaster for €15 at your local supermarket that sometimes it’s an easier option than trying to identify and fix the problem. But, we have to think about the environmental impact too – where do all those broken kettles and toasters go? Landfill!
Led fuse
Sometimes, a replacement fuse will sort it out. It’s easy but again, take care: anything with electricity requires care and caution. Below is an 8 step guide on replacing fuses in kitchen appliances.
1. It is very important to select the correct fuse for a particular appliance. Putting in a stronger fuse is not the answer!
2. When one buys a square pin plug (13A) it has a 13 amp fuse which can carry most of the electricity in your house.
3. When replacing a fuse in an electrical device, first determine the POWER consumed by the device, written in W(Watts) or KW.
4. Secondly, calculate the current by dividing the Power by 240Volts: this will tell you the actual current consumed by the device.
5. Example 1: What fuse do I require for a 1 KiloWatt heater?. Note 1KWatt = 1000 Watts, Therefore- 1000W/240V = 4.16 Amps current.
6. The nearest fuse is either a 3A or a 5A?. The 3A is slightly below the operating level but it’s safe.
7. Although 3A is the best fuse for this job the next best is the 5A bus not the fuse that came with the plug.
8. Another Example: an Electric Kettle. Its rating is 1850W. 1850W/240V = 7.7 Amps. The fuse to use would be 5A.
If replacing the fuse is just one of a number of jobs that you need to sort around the house, why don’t you put your list in your jobjar and give me a call. I’ll travel anywhere in the greater Dublin area: Alan Rafter, Jobjar, 087 6617271.
