Are one of these fuses blown?

[Pat Barry]

The idea with the light bulb and pigtail wire i good - just bad using your fuse box. Never ever ever do it that way. Use a flashlight battery and flashlight bulb. Safety first.

[Phil Thien]

To reply to the OP's original question, yes, it is blown.

How do I know? I don't, really. But I got a 50-50 chance. If I'm right, I'll seem brilliant.

Probably not after admitting my strategy, though.

[Clarence Miller]

Or, if you don't have a meter, you could take a 9 volt battery, and place one of each of the fuses on the battery, and the other end on your tongue. If you get zapped, the fuses are both OK.



(just joking) Why not treat yourself to a Christmas present and get a multimeter? You can spend whatever you want, and they can all check fuses.

Your sick, but I was thinking along the same lines.

I am a fan of going to the auto parts store or using a multi meter.

If you are dead set on testing it yourself use jumper cables and a car battery. hook the positive up to the fuse and battery, and the neg to the battery only. when you tap the neg cable end against the other side of the fuse and it sparks you are in business. I would recommend using your neighbor's (or some relative you don't care for) car if yours is post 1973. Such testing has been known to cause problems for electronic ignition systems.

[Jim Heffner]

By looking at them...kinda hard to tell. An ohm meter is the best test for sure.
Another method that I have found to work well is...take one of the fuses,
hold it close your ear and shake it vigorously and listen to it, if it sounds like
loose sand shifting back and forth ....it is blown. Works for me, learned that
from an old electrician when I worked with him years ago...never failed yet!

[Justin Freund]

Fuses like that are about a dollar each. Not much lost by just buying new ones. I do agree that a good multimeter is still a great tool to have.

[Phil Warnement]

A follow-up on Trent's post. A volt-ohm meter will definately find your problem. The key, however, is knowing how to use functions of the meter. If you know how to use one the check takes about 30 seconds to perform. If you don't know how to use one the results can be shocking

[Jarrett Vibert]

The key, however, is knowing how to use functions of the meter. If you know how to use one the check takes about 30 seconds to perform. If you don't know how to use one the results can be shocking

...and possibly explosive....

[steven c newman]

While you are replacing that bad fuse, go ahead and replace the rest. If one has blown, the rest will follow along, later. A set of "fresh" fuses is just good maintainence. When in doubt, throw it out. While you are at it, buy some spares, for later on.

[ray hampton]

My vote for fuses AND mult-meters
A couple years ago I was replacing my electric range. I switched off the 220 breaker at the panel and went to work.
While disconnecting the power leads from the back of the range my wrench contacted the metal of the range and threw a nice shower of sparks. I was wearing gloves and not touching the metal body of the range so I was not jolted.
Turns out one of the two 30 amp ganged breakers actually failed to disconnect power in the off position and there was still 110v going through the line.



I never touch a power line now without doing a check with my meter.

using a meter are okay but a simple circuit tester are a quicker way to test circuit

[Keith Westfall]

The key, however, is knowing how to use functions of the meter. If you know how to use one the check takes about 30 seconds to perform. If you don't know how to use one the results can be shocking

...and possibly explosive....

I need someone to explain this to me. How can using a ohm meter be shocking or explosive??

Have I just been lucky for over 30 years???

[Chuck Wintle]

I need someone to explain this to me. How can using a ohm meter be shocking or explosive??

Have I just been lucky for over 30 years???

maybe it depends where the ohmmeter probes are placed?

[steven c newman]

I had one go ZAPPP! once. I still ahd it the Ohms section, and tested some ac, live in an outlet. A nice flash from inside the case, and then the smoke rolled out. OOPS. Take the fuse out of the fuse holder, and place the fuse between the probes ends. If the scale is on the "Ohms" section, you will get either an almost zero reading ( that fuse is good) or, if the needle "pegs" at the other end of the scale (fuse is blown, buy another). A "good' fuse should show almost no resistance, while a blown fuse will show a lot of resistance.

[Jarrett Vibert]

I need someone to explain this to me. How can using a ohm meter be shocking or explosive??

Have I just been lucky for over 30 years???

lol...maybe...

Cheap multimeters that do not contain internal overcurrent protection have been known to explode, if used improperly. Usually it's case of the meter being set up to measure component amperage, but then used to check for voltage. It's really not that uncommon an occurance. In fact, I have received warnings from the ESA (canada's Electrical Saftey Authority) about Chinese made meters coming into the country with fake CSA stamps in their casings... The internal protection is one of the standards ignored by the off shore "cheapy" meter makers.

[Jim Summers]

If the scale is on the "Ohms" section, you will get either an almost zero reading ( that fuse is good) or, if the needle "pegs" at the other end of the scale (fuse is blown, buy another). A "good' fuse should show almost no resistance, while a blown fuse will show a lot of resistance.

Maybe I am mis-reading this, but, I thought when ohm'ing things if the needle moves you have continuity and hence a circuit. If the needle stays at zero, then no circuit, meaning a blown fuse. But maybe it is the type of fuse??

Thanks

[Phil Thien]

Maybe I am mis-reading this, but, I thought when ohm'ing things if the needle moves you have continuity and hence a circuit. If the needle stays at zero, then no circuit, meaning a blown fuse. But maybe it is the type of fuse??

Thanks

You are correct, if needle moves, electrons are flowing...