Help with Electronics Repair, where to find the right fuse?

[knave]

I need a T10AH250VP 5x20mm -

Break Down of Fuse Description:
T = Time Lag
10A = 10 Amp
H = High Breaking Capacity (Ceramic) 1500A @ 250V AC
250V = 250 Volts
P = RoSH Compliant


I have been searching around locally for one of these small ceramic fuses. Nothing. I found a few places online (Googled) but figured the board would know of the best place to get a replacement.

[menace]

Whats it out of?  we have a local electronics place called sayal that carries that sort of thing--don't know where you are though...

[knave]

It's out of a DVD player. Apparently it is a size of fuse used in alot of consumer electronics. There are lots of people online who have saved dead flatscreen tv's by bothering to look and change the fuse. They are just not easily found...Lots of the bigger ceramic fuses, but not so much the small ones.

I'm half tempted to use one with the same specs but bigger form factor and just solder on a new fuse holder on leads. The only place locally that came close was Granger and they were pretty expensive.

More likely I'll have to scout around the web and order a 5 pack...

If anyone knows let me know.

[ChadTower]

Get another DVD player and pull the fuse from it.  I'm sure that fuse could be found in a lot of similar type of units, too. 

I wouldn't put a jumper in for a 10A fuse.

[lilshawn]

10 amp... for a power supply on a DVD player??? okay... i would think 3 or 5 would be more than enough... anyways...but if it's blown, likely the power supply is toasted.

the reason for ceramic is due to the high voltage rating (250volts) and small size between the contact points (reduces chances of arcing). if your country has 100 volt power i'm sure you would be fine with replacing it with a standard 10 amp glass fuse. if in the EU where the voltage is 200v i would seek out the ceramic fuse....although if you where actually in the EU, you could probably find a ceramic fuse no problem. 

[ChadTower]

That occurred to me after I posted.  Why the hell would a DVD player have a 10A fuse in it?

[knave]

10 amp... for a power supply on a DVD player??? okay... i would think 3 or 5 would be more than enough... anyways...but if it's blown, likely the power supply is toasted.

If the power supply is blown so be it, but it's a nice player that is part of a surround system so I don't want to toss it if a cheap fuse will get it running again. 

the reason for ceramic is due to the high voltage rating (250volts) and small size between the contact points (reduces chances of arcing). if your country has 100 volt power i'm sure you would be fine with replacing it with a standard 10 amp glass fuse. if in the EU where the voltage is 200v i would seek out the ceramic fuse....although if you where actually in the EU, you could probably find a ceramic fuse no problem. 

I kept my eye out for 10A glass fuses as well, but 6A was as high as I found locally in that 5x20mm size. I will look for a glass fuse a bit more though.

[ChadTower]

That's a fair point.  You can use jumper cables to the fuse holder and drop a normal sized 10A fuse in to see if it blows.  Honestly, it's not as common as people want to think to have the issue be "just a fuse".

[Samstag]

If you can only find 6A fuses locally, then use one of those.  If it blows again it's not because the fuse is too small, it's because you've got a bigger problem.

Sounds like you're talking about a "home theater in a box" where the DVD player, receiver, and speakers are sold as a matched set, right?  It should never draw even 6A if it's working correctly, let alone 10A.

[Richard_Nixon]

It could very well need a 10 amp fuse if the amplifier is drawing from that same circuit. Which sounds quite likely.

I order lots of parts for work from these guys.
http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Circuit_Protection_-z-_Fuses_-z-_Disconnects/Fuses_-a-_Fuse_Holders/Small_Dimension_Electronic_Ceramic

[MajorHavoc]

I found myself in a similar spot a number of years ago.  I had a small portable TV that went dead on me.  After much digging, I found the culprit.  A small Buss fuse buried between the main wiring bundle and the circuit board.  The local electronics shop could get the fuse I needed for the low low price of $23.00 plus tax.  I inquired about the same value fuse,standard size with pigtails and was delighted to find that the price was about $1.25 out the door.  I soldered the pigtails to the old fuse and reinstalled in the set and it ran flawlessly for years until the picture tube ultimately gave out. Good luck.

[Ed_McCarron]

This place gets me fuses by the 100's for about a third of the price I'd pay for the little 5 packs.  I assume they sell smaller quantities.

http://www.fusesunlimited.com/locations.html

[knave]

I was able to order a pair of fuses online. In case others are interested I used Digi-key. Price seemed reasonable. I paid $3.00 shipped.

Sadly as some of you suspected the unit must have bigger problems than just a fuse. I suppose I should break out a meter and check both the PS and the fuses...

But it's probably Dead.

[lilshawn]

a faulty bridge rectifier will cause the fuse to blow. it's the first thing after the fuse. most susceptible to power surges.

[Samstag]

a faulty bridge rectifier will cause the fuse to blow. it's the first thing after the fuse. most susceptible to power surges.

I don't think they normally short though.  I'd be looking at big filter caps nearby.

[MonMotha]

I've definitely seen bridge rectifiers fail shorted.  Caps too, of course, but probably actually the rectifiers more often.

[knave]

I visually inspected all the caps and I didn't see any that looked bad. but then again I'm a noob at such stuff.

I was hoping that I could just pop in a new fuse and poof it works now.

The device failed after a particularly bad surge.

I didn't even know it had a fuse until I cracked it open.

Now I will have to check for continuity since there is no visible damage. (I was kinda hoping to see what was bad.)

[lilshawn]

The device failed after a particularly bad surge.

I would say the bridge rectifier is knackered then.

a power surge exceeds the capability of the diodes in the bridge...a diode in the bridge shorts and it basically connects the 2 sides of the plug together creating a huge surge of current...blowing the fuse.

you might get lucky and it would have a standard diode bridge and can just swap the whole thing,  otherwise they would have used individual diodes, in which case, you'll have to test each one and find the culprit.