Destructively testing thermal fuses

These little thermal fuses are often found in things like fan motors and transformers as a protective device to break the circuit if the device overheats. In many instances that could be due to an associated fault or just an unusually hot enclosure, with the motor or transformer being serviceable. In this instance a new thermal fuse may restore operation. Shunting out thermal fuses is frowned on, as it removes a safety layer and increases the risk of a fire when things go wrong. These things are mass produced and can be bought in packs at low cost. It's one of those things where buying a pack is not much more expensive than buying a single unit. Note that this type is only suited to low current applications, and not heaters and larger motors. An interesting use of these is to permanently disable a device when a fault condition is detected, by deliberately heating the fuse with a resistor. Some electric blanket controllers do that. Normally for something safety-critical like this, I recommend only buying from prominent electronic component distributors. But my usual ones didn't stock this type. That's why I tested several of them. These ones came from the usual suspect - but are available from various sources. Here's a link to the item on AliExpress (not a sponsor). This is an affiliate link, but that will not affect the price you pay. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3bvmD5J Note that they are available in various temperature thresholds. A pack of 20 costs about £2. You may find that a mid-range temperature like 130C fits a wide range of applications. If you enjoy my videos, supporting the channel on Patreon helps keep it independent of YouTube's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams. https://www.patreon.com/bigclive Alternatively, for a single coffee contribution you can use PayPal:- https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bigclive #ElectronicsCreators