Your video just saved me some $. For those of us that have more time than money it was worth it for me to check why my shop vac stopped working. I had the exact problem you mentioned in your vid. I just stuck a auto fuse in between the terminals and it fired right up. Thank you!
I found this video after diagnosing the open circuit at this point. 10 gal/4hp shop vac is 10 years old, heavily used, but the brushes and armature look mint. Seeing the fuse was melted, I put a piece of solder wire between the connectors. Figured that would fail faster than a hard connection or aluminum pin. 🤷♂️ Looks like I'm taking the brand new Rigid 12 gal back today. Lmao.
The fuse on your house is meant to protect your house. The fuse on devices are meant to protect devices. They may seem redundant because they do the same thing on the same circuit but they are specific to to amperage and gauge of the wiring. Primarily, fuses are often localized so thermals don't turn into fires. This due to distance between a short fault and the fuse. Example; Say you had a very long run from your home fuse box to your device without a fuse. Then its the difference between your device being warm to the touch to your device being immolated. This further complicated by how A/C power works and how electric motors work where current is stored as a magnetic field and can induce current even when power is 'off'.
Try cleaning the motor maybe? Either it drawing too many Amps when it try’s to start or it has a short in the windings in which case there isn’t much you can other than replace the motor
How do you tell if the switch is bad before proceeding to this fuse replacement? Mine would stick and not go on and off so I did the hack where you cut off the plastic buttons to get at the switches and turn them on but it still does not work.
So the yellow switch you pulled out and removed the inner "thermal fuse" or just fuse. Can you remove that, put it back together and run it without it? I tried putting a 15 and 20 amp auto fuse in connecting the post. They both instantly blew.
It is amazing to see how they use such a light gauge winding in the newer motor! Did you see any markings on the housing of that "fuse"? Video moved too fast for me to see it.
Made in china where buy low buy more often is the goal. You want quality you pay more and get a lil better but not top quality. We used to build top quality or near best, now we buy low and buy more often. Or buy a replacement.
I used a steel popper rivet, cut it and grinded it down a little bit, stuck it in the fuse as a permanent link. I know its not very safe, but its an old vac and the house im using it in has breakers and fire extinguishers so
@@radozeman Yup, been running it a lot over the last couple weeks and its doing great. I usually run it for a good 30 minutes at a time, and haven't had any breakers flipping or any warm smell. I followed your video, the only thing I did differently was using the rivet. Thanks for the video
The "doo-hickey" is a THERMAL RESISTOR. Mine blew also, but I'm wondering why it blew in the first place. I'm going to jam a car fuse in it's place and just monitor it I guess.
Mine is a RIDGID 5 gallon. How does the power cord wires(2 wires/ 1 black and 1 white), connect to the 2 wires that hook up to the motor and, on and off switch? Awesome video. Thanks a lot.
Thank you for your reply. Let me put it this way. Do I have to splice the power cord into the wires that go to the motor"and" to the on and off switch?
Hey, I was cleaning the fan, and the motor started and stopped, unfortunately it was plugged in, now the machine doesn’t work. Could this be a fuse? How can I fix my vacuum?
A 12-volt fuse can be used in a 120-volt circuit. Fuses are rated in amperes, not volts. That's why the 15-amp fuse stood up to your presumably 15-amp breaker.
@@radozeman I'm only going on my own limited knowledge, so yes, it's up for debate. I actually tuned in to figure out how to rewire a sweeper that my kid tore apart, but did learn a few other things.
hi rd allen. i have 10 year old bissell vacuum cleaner which suddenly stopped working . i found out ceramic fuse tucked near motor wrapped in black rubber coating. this fuse was on brown wire going to motor.i can read 250v on this fuse , this isn't solder kind of fuse it was clamped on brown wire. anyway i couldn't find slimier thermal fuse on ebay so i just took it off and joined brown wire securely which is going to motor.now everything working fine . was that fuse was thermal fuse. i dont use vaccum cleaner for long time. plug have 13 amp fuse in it. house is new built with breaker etc. should i be worried
Until someone cracks the identity of that fuse, figuring out the rating of a proper replacement and style (to handle all the vibration) seems to be the #1 issue. Then, there is making sure the motor is OK/functional. It is so easy to cook these newer windings and short them out.
Your dad and my dad have the same old shop vac motor, it has an actual thermal fuse in it (like the one you showed us at 4:30 of the video) take those two screws out separate the casings and after the wire contacts and right before the coated aluminum winding you’ll see a woven fiberglass heat shield sleeve and the thermal fuse is in there. Btw I’m not a smart person just had a broken shop vac and a working phone to google
Can I replace the fuse with a 15 amp car fuse, like in your other video or, do I take the old one out first, if it is the fuse? I just bought another shop vacuum made by SHOP-VAC with a 6 gal. capacity with bag for $39 98 with tax=$43.28. I didn't get the 2 year warranty for $4.95 but, I am wondering now, if I should!? Awesome video. Thanks again.
I have a stinger shop vac and mine doesn't seem to have a thermal switch. The power switch is good. Update* I found it hiding under insulation, it is a thermal fuse for 133c 5a 250v. I can't find a 5a fuse tho.
There is a reason why the fuse tripped the 1st time. And thermal switches are in the circuit to allow for the rare event that the motor starts to get hot. The thermal switch will open for a period of time and then reset. If the motor is pulling too much current, then it could mean bearings need to be lubed or replaced. Friction there would cause resistance to turn and cause higher operating current
Exactly! Good video but the one thing the video missed is that lubrication of the moving parts, such the bearings, can cause over heating and a fuse failure. Other Shop Vac vids cover this and I myself was able to keep my Shop Vac in working order by simply applying a few drops of "3 In One" oil to the bearings. He should have included that in his video.
If one has a failed fuse I would be curious what the amperage is compared to new. Worn bearings, brushes, or arcing switch may lead to too much amperage use. Ours are used for walnut shell blasting. The bearings get dust through the seals and do not last long.
Cheaper ones may be bronze sleeve bearing or similar. Haven't bothered with them. Industrial style we use has a sealed ball bearing. Either way I don't think it would be a bad idea to have a way to quickly check its amp draw at the wall plug. Especially at start up. High amp draw would indicate an unseen issue. If you're repairing quite a few. Just food for thought. I have actually seen one that they failed to replace when asked and the fine dust kinda spit a fire ball when the motor arced. Lol just little hair missing.
There's a heck of a lot more to fuse design and specifications than just the rated current. You need to cover ALL fault scenarios, in specified environmental conditions, not just yours. And not just once either - they are specified and usually certified to tight tolerances because they are safety devices. Fuses are rated NOT to open at their rated current. Their actual opening time depends on their design characteristics (it's plotted as a current-vs-time curve in the specifications. Current breakers have similar, but different, specifications. Some fuses and breakers are even designed to add extra delay to account for such things as inrush current and occasional very-short-term overloads. The main objection I personally have is you are comparing: a thermal fuse which is intended to safely open at some point above a rated temperature (the rated - normal- current), safely disconnecting a given current (the fault current), then withstand the peak rated voltage. with a current fuse (which is rated to safely open at some rated current flow, within a specified time limit, disconnecting a given fault current, then withstand the peak rated voltage. then you are saying "the breaker saves you", because in your case, it opened before the fuse did. That's fine for you, but just keep well away from me. They aren't even designed to do the same job. Do what you want with your own equipment, just don't encourage others to do dangerous things then ridicule people trying to point out potential problems of your thinking - pun intentional. Thermal fuses are cheap and relatively easily available - so what's the problem?
But is that a thermal fuse? Sure don't look like one to me. Everyone seems to think it is terrible I replaced the "thermal" fuse with a regular fuse, again it doesn't appear to be a thermal fuse!
yeah. it's a cheapo/in-house type. Similar to the older fuse-wire-stretched-between-two-pillars type or re-wireable domestic fuses that were much more common. It's unpackaged, because it's basically designed to be as cheap as possible. You'll find that the link wire melts if you apply variable-temperature a soldering iron to it. It will usually be made of an alloy with a relatively low melting point. Such in-house/ non encapsulated thermal links are common in motors and especially larger domestic heaters (off-peak nite storage heating in particular). They usually require some housing to make sure that the molten link does not cause further damage and are oriented so that the run-off cannot cause further shorts. In rapid overloads the arc created as the link opens vaporizes some of the link metal and can deposit a conductive coating of spattered metal on the housing (the plastic housing in your case) - this needs removed, replaced or meticulously cleaned to maintain insulation resistance (because otherwise you have a fuse rated for say 250V but surrounded by a plastic housing that will track arcs at maybe 90V on a damp day, defeating the point) Packaged (encapsulated) fuses don't suffer from that vaporization/re-deposition problem because the entire package is replaced after a failure. Crimping in a packaged thermal fuse of suitable rating is definitely the best repair. It's also the intended repair, it's just that most people throw these things into landfull (I admit competent well-stocked repair shops are a rarity in this age) Personally, for a battlefield repair scenario, I'd maybe use a piece of solder crimped in place, but not a standard fuse. For anything but an emergency scenario I'd fit (by crimping, not soldering!) a packaged thermal fuse in it's place (suitably rated of course). The idea of this fuse is mainly to protect the windings (expensive to replace) in the event of an overheat situation. The protection scenario is: hot day in hotsville shop vac working hard sucking against a big load user has a lot of work to get through so has been running it flat out for 3 hours =thermal fuse opens to save the rest of the expensive components. It's fixable at low cost. So the primary idea of the thermal fuse is to protect the device from damage. It will get "tired" as we say in the trade - in fact it is a moving part with thermal stresses on it. That's because under normal operation the link will expand due to the current passing in it slightly, and eventually, over many cycles or hours of use, will mechanically fail. You can make shop vacs last longer in this respect by not running them for so long (to allow cooldown periods rather than continuous running) and avoiding lonmgterm heavy-suction loads. Cheaper vacs may be rated for 5 minutes on and 20 or even 30 minutes off. Better ones may be rated for 10 on 10 off. If you need a dust collector, buy a dust collector. If (like me) you're careful and mindful of the risks (but it's only 10 minutes of my time and a $1 fuse) then you can usually use cheaper vacs successfully for years without problems. If you use bags inside, change them when they are clogged with fine powder (masonry/plaster/rendering dust). Clean the filters regularly etc. I can easily change thermal fuses and keep a small stock of the common ones, but still I'm still very careful about overheating and cooldown periods. It also has a secondary function of fire protection, because the rest of the wiring maximum continuous temperatures will be rated above the fuse rated temperature. Bear in mind that the thermal fuse will also have a secondary function as an overcurrent fuse too. (especially in many reguins of the world where there is no appliance fuse located in the plug-top (North/South America and most of Europe for example). Whilst you've used the argument that the "breaker will save you" you also have to consider situations where there is no breaker, it's faulty (it happens), or the breaker is rated too high for the fault in question or the time characteristic does not allow it to trip in time. A GFI (ELCB/RCD) device does not in itself protect against overcurrent, only an imbalance in currents caused by earth faults. The purpose is to disconnect the phase/s in earth leakage faults. In this case, the overheat or overcurrent scenario will not cause a trip as there will be noi leakage to earth until the motor windings have melted down to such an extent that a bare conductor touched an object bonded to Terra.
Note that many (but by no means all) GFI devices include overcurrent protection too. Others must be protected by a breaker or fusible link. As with all mechanical devices, breakers can and do fail, especially after many cycles. Overcurrent breakers can also have unpredictable results in extremes of temperatures (cold weather in an unheated garage will usually cause much slower tripping than a hot desert day with the hot air output of a hot-running machine blowing on them). They can also be affected by magnetic fields. Thermal fuses are very common on motors and in some transformers. Rewinding motors and transformers is an expensive business because it requires uncommon machinery and time, as well as significant expense of copper. Anyone who has done it by hand will testify to the PITA factor. I''d rather have a fuse fail than a vac melt to a puddle of smouldering plastic on the floor while sparks piss out of the remains of the windings. The "DC vs AC" comments are partly correct because it's a generalization only really valid in the domestic or automotive world and only then in certain circumstances. DC arcs tend to last longer than AC ones for a given situation, but only at low frequencies. Mains power is, for these purposes, a low frequency. The reversal in polarity helps quench the arc at every zero-crossing. RF plasma is an interesting example of sustained AC arcs but there are many others. Anyone who has witnessed an arcflash incident will testify that AC can arc and the dangers that this can cause. There are a few arcflash vids on youtub - none are pleasant to watch. Laymen often assume that "DC" is always low voltage and AC is always higher voltage, though that is not the case. I have a box containing several types of high-voltage fuses intended for DC systems rated for around 5kV and they are available up to 30kV DC in encapsulations. Their peak AC rating is slightly higher than the DC at low frequencies, up to about 500Hz if I recall. From a fuse design and selection aspect the AC vs DC aspect is more correctly a fault disconnection current rating - the maximum energy that can be interrupted by the fuse in a given set of circumstances (peak voltage, fault current, frequency, humidity, temperature, surrounding gas and pressure thereof. Some specialist fuses are nitrogen filled, some are also under slight vacuum, some others have compressed air systems to blow out the arc. These type are all expensive and for special industrial purposes. Other more simple approaches are making the fuse enclosure longer (so the arc won't bridge over at the rated conditions) or filling with sand or other inert material so quench the arc when the link opens. Fuses are complicated and frequently thought of an simple things. They aren't. As an example of reduced safety margins: in a twin-engined plane, would you take off on one engine (assuming it was even possible?) The safe answer is no. Would you pucker if you had an engine failure in that plane at low airspeed on a hot day just after takeoff?. The correct answer is yes, very definitely. Would you worry if you had an engine failure on final approach to land in the same plane? Probably not. Not every problem has single-scenario fault. By disabling some safety features (bridging a thermal fuse with an overcurrent fuse) you reduce the safety margins for both you, people nearby and the equipment itself. As a guy that does quite a lot of repair to stuff, I'd place human life *almost* as high as the survival/repairability of the equipment itself :) I'd also consider (and have fitted) a thermal breaker (self-resetting type) They look like a fat silver-topped button with two 1/4" space connectors sticking out either side. Google for KSD301 - but note that most of these are 10A rated and may not be suitable for use on areas with 110V mains (they are much more suitable for 230V areas as the appliance draws half the current.). I'd *also* fit a thermal fuse with a somewhat higher rating too, by the way, to improve safety for the equipment even further. To select the correct rating it's a real guessing game - you really need to try and see what temperature the old link melts at. A recently-calibrated variable temperature-controlled soldering iron is what I use. For a destroyed thermal fuse link it's hard because the link itself is often crimped or nicked near the mid-section to encourage failure at that point, so once it's gone open the actual melting point of the remains parts (the ends of the link) may melt at a decivingly-high temperature. The increased resistance at the nicked section (it's crimped to a specific thickness in manufacture determines how hot that link will get at a specific current flow - it's the combination of appliance internal temperature AND the resistance at the nick that determine the rated fusing temperature. Personally, for a shop vac I'd start an unkown scenario like this by fitting a 130C 10 or 15A permanent thermal fuse, but also add a 85 C to 100C KSD-style breaker (230V mains here) If that trips and resets during my normal use I'd consider using a "hotter" breaker, but I would not go any higher than the 130C permament thermal fuse. (and even if I did use a 120C breaker I'd probably still keep the 130C Thermal fuse at that rating. Note that the mechanical KSD-style thermal breakers are rather inaccurate at have significant hysteresis. If it still trips I'd accept that I'm overheating the vac. These are pure guesses based on past personal experience - 130C may even be far too high to protect the insulation of the wiring and motor windings , especially in the long-term. It all depends on airflow and heat conduction in the case, layout and materials used as well as the mounting position of the thermal breakers and thermal fuse. It's very important to ensure that whatever breakers and fuses you use are actually capable of handling the normal and fault currents and voltage involved, otherwise you're just making a fire-starter, not a safety fuse. depending on the location and materials (and to an extent, dust and any flammable atmosphere nearby) how bad that will be, if it is even much of a problem at all. It could be a real problem in some places/scenarios though. Yes, brushes arc a little (minimally) in normal use , but something actually burning is more of a risk if the plastic case will melt and burn with say 10 seconds of flame. (been there, done that, in my youth) Make sure all your crimps and mountinngs are well-dressed and insulated and also that the thermal fuses and breakers need to be at appropriate physical locations. Mounting them in a cold area or in cold airflow means they will never work when they need to (thermal fuses in transformers and better mountings are sometimes slightly buried in the windings themselves or thermally bonded to the laminations to make sure they function as rapidly as possible) gotta go - my fingers have melted :)
oh one final thing - you may find that the link you show in the vid doesn't even melt even at 220C when you try a soldering iron. But sure enough, with 6- to 10 amps through it, it will fail at a far lower temperature due to the extra resistance at the weak-spot, the nick in it, thanks to internal heating. It's the cumulative effect of ambient in-case temps and the current that determines the fusing temperature. That gives a very wide margin for error, hence me being very careful about replacing unknown links like this even with high-quality thermal fuses and breakers. Basically, the thermal devices should open safely *before* damage is caused to the other components, not after. The internal wiring may have a temperature rating marked on it, you can use that as a guide if nothing else. Motor windings are usually enamelled wire or similar, with no writing on them although they will have a design specification, in theory.
As you don't want to touch your "temp wiring " to even turn the switch on.....i found it ballsy to pull the 15a fuse out with the circuit still energized. If you look closely at the fuse, there are 2 small test points that are accessible on the back where it says 15. These are test points for use with meter/test light leads. Very easy to get lit up by them at 120vac!! Just sayin..... I like your style not being over cautious like the rest of America! (Universal/brushed motors can be ran on AC or DC)
My 2¢ worth: The difference between a current limiting fuse and a thermal limiting fuse is simply the process variable it's designed for. One is engineered for a specific max current; the other for a specific max temperature. If the temperature limiting device fails, it could be either high current or high temperature that causes the failure, since too high a current will produce higher temperatures. But, the design parameter is temperature, because the motor is designed to work below a specified max temperature and there are circumstance that can drive the temperature up beyond that parameter in the area of the motor. The air circulation can become blocked. It might be used in an environment where heat is not dissipated well due to high ambient temperatures. And, most likely, blocking the suction hose for too long will cause the motor to freewheel, which will increase the inductive reactance internal to the motor leading to more rapid heat generation. Replacing the thermal limit with any fuse will make the vacuum work again, and is not a big risk to the operator (IMO), but it is essentially bypassing the motors heat protection which can lead to a burned up motor under any of the circumstances described above. Your test, while dramatic, doesn't prove anything except that a fuse (any fuse) will blow when placed in a short circuit. I'm sure you already know that. Love your videos, especially the FS. I hope Google is compensating you for all the time you've put in. I'm certain it must be a lot! … The time, that is.
Lol! … Well Trever, I wish I could say that I am, but unfortunately I only have a HS diploma. And to top it off, I'm not very smart. Why just now, when I got the notice from Google that you had posted a reply, I accidentally dropped your comment from the list and couldn't get it back, while trying to find the click that would navigate me to these comments instead of Goog's drop down menu version of the same. Then I had trouble finding it here, what with all the mundane posts I've been making lately. And, I've been impressed with Mr. Allen's intelligence. He's smart when it comes to the things within his purview, and no-one can be an expert in all things. Believe me. I've tried.
You and me both. I have spent 40yrs in the electronical and electronics Field and the older I get it seems the less I know bur this particular video violates some of the most basic common sense rules of safety that I have seen. The VAC maker installed that simple cheap thermal fuse to disable the device. They would rather you spend another $100 on a new VAC instead of them spending $1,000,000 in insurace/court costs.
It's true that the VAC maker wants to sell more vacuums, but I don't think there is any connection. It's a safety device; one installed for the protection of the equipment. Under normal use, it would never actuate. And, I'm sure the corporation still pays dearly for product liability insurance.
@@HerbertVickers I would say if you want a better machine from Shop-Vac, save for an industrial or contractor series. The big box store stuff is usually geared toward occasional-use owners.
I looked up the yellow part in the parts catalog. It’s called the Doohickey. Being a doohickey, I don’t think it’s “designed to keep you safe”. I think it’s designed to keep the vacuum motor safe.
Barry Case Baloney. It's entirely possible to have the fuse arc over and continue to conduct if the fuse opens and the voltage is too high for it. Not only will it continue to conduct, it will start on fire. Fuses have a voltage rating for a reason, it's not a scam to get you to buy more fuses. Even in this video you can see a problem: 12V fuses that open on 12V will not get charred like that. Maybe these particular 12V fuses don't start fires on 125V. But don't expect them all to behave this way.
Like KC9UDX said, the amperage is what causes the heating and the fuse to fail initially, but the voltage rating is what prevents that failure from cascading into something catastrophic. Oh, and also things like how many 12V fuses have exposed test points so you can text their status while installed, but for 120V, if you put your hand directly on one of those contacts it will bite you.
Over current protection device(fuse) voltage rating references the internal pressure rating of the device(fuse). A 120 volt 100a fuse will grenade in a 600v 100a circuit and a 12v fuse will damage its fuse holder connections at 120v over time. Since there is no OCPD selective coordination achieved and the OCPD not user serviceable at the equipment an OCPD is pointless so securely by-pass it. A fuse does not encounter wear throughout its service life as a breaker does .It is either good or bad. Whatever that was it was not neither a fuse or a thermal overload but likely a cheap wearable link designee to initiate scheduled manufacturer maintenance or notice end of end service life so check wearable s such as brushes and bearings before recommissioning the equipment. Expensive equipment have factory programed counters that shut equipment down and flash a maintenance service code. Same deal here
so if it was running and it just stopped running - aim for the fuse vice the switch? And if I'm replacing the fuse what are your thoughts on just replacing the switch as well?
Depends on the age or your shop vac, olders ones seem to have better switches, it is only the newer ones (last 5 years or so) that I have had an issue with.
Do not lift a shopvac up by the handle while the machine is running. There exist a circuit that runs through the plastic that's very difficult to I found it with a m looking for continuity. Anyway if you lift up on the handle while the machine runs you momentarily break the circuit and cause an arcing. The arcing further destroys the device in the lid. Eventually with enough lifts it fails. The device has no other purpose but to our arc when lifted. It has to be planned obsolescence. It was covertly install where you wouldn't notice it. The solution is just to bypass this device. Then it runs perfect again
The problem with that automotive fuse, that you have overlooked, is that the pins are exposed.... dude that’s 110v live that if you touch the fuse will shock you. The exposed pins are for using a 12v probe test light. Look at the top of the fuse and notice the two metal exposed pins. Your house breakers don’t have bare wire or pins exposed until you remove the panel.
Smh....... I want to be extremely smart like you but I'm just not. So I was thinking for your next video maybe you could just hold one side of the fuse and try this again. If the breaker blows there's nothing to worry about right?
gotta love then safety police.... if it don't work, what's the big deal.If the motor starts bogging, or smoking, then you'll just hafta $pend the $$$ for another one ANYWAY...... shock of shocks !! NOTICE: IF YOUR ELECTRIC MOTOR STARTS SMOKING, UNPLUG THE DAMNED THING....
Looks like that's an internal fuse of some type my Shop-Vac quit working watched your video on some problems and mine was that fuse I put a butt connector in it granted internet police will say use a fuse or OEM product Etc if that's what you want to use use that internet police
Yep, I did that exact same thing with another vacuum I have, 15 years later that vacuum is still running strong! It probably would be safer to have some sorta fuse....
Mine too. Took me a while to find the culprit since it worked intermittently. I was thinking about using a 14 ga solid wire to replace the fusible material . If the motor is starting to overload, the next death will most likely be permanent even if I could get the replacement part for a discontinued model. Built in 2 cent demise. Came here to see if I was on the right track.
The oldest working light bulb still working since 1901 at a fire station. Is used used everyday and was even transferred to a different building with an escorts. It’s Crazy how we have people starving and poor and they can’t solve it, but ohhh lets rip people off and waste money. Things are made to break and manufacturers are getting greedier.
I’m not gonna get into the nuances of how to refer to the fuse, but 100% for sure it is designed to break continuity when shorted or when too much power is drawn, not at a specific temperature. That being said, I really wish I could buy one of these for cheap right now, but absolutely do not just connect them together. Do you want your vacuum to catch on fire and burn your house down? For phucks sake if you can’t replace it with something that will properly protect the circuit just get a new one, do not rely on your household breaker to prevent the device from internal issues.
You realize the outlet it is plugged into is protected right? The correct fuse mostly likely is a thermal fuse (thermal = heat), most sensible manufactures will put a resetting type fuse. It is clear they put this in the vacuum so you have to buy a new one.
If the motor is fried, its about the same price as a whole new shop vac. These things are engineered for premature failure. And you can forget about Ridgids "lifetime" warranty- its no more.
My old shop vac had a lifetime warranty and they even sent me a replacement powerhead with no hassle didn’t have to return the old one or anything, they still offer some with that lifetime warranty, but the one I replaced it with was a cheap one because I wanted the stainless steel and it does not have a lifetime warranty
Hey smart guy.... You shouldn't mess with electricity when it's obvious you don't know what your Doing... Wouldn't say I'm one of these extremely smart people your talking about But i am a master electrician... And putting a larger fuse in until it won't blow anymore is how houses burn to the ground.. The breaker tripped first because you created a dead short and the breaker did exactly what it's designed to do. Swap that breaker in your panel for a 20 amp and use the 15 amp fuse that didn't blow bet it will now but i don't recommend it.. Hopefully nobody plugs into a circuit rated for 20 amps because that shop vac isn't gonna work anymore...
So I have a fein vac, it's been awesome. I'm a marine carpenter and they have an outlet that your tool plugs into so the vac turns on when the tool is operating. The other day it started tripping the GFI switches when I plug it in. Any suggestions?
So in other words the equipment can be as electrically dangerous as you like so long as your house wiring is up to spec? This is a dangerous practice whether you disagree or disparage the "extremely smart people" (as you put it) tell you so or not. All you've demonstrated is that fuses and trips (breakers) operate on a dead short circuit. You've also demonstrated what electricians know as discrimination. The fuse in the appliance is meant to fail before the breaker in order to avoid the whole circuit tripping out. In the same way the fuse in your home supply is meant to operate before the substation fuses! Now demonstrate what happens when your motor gets overloaded or overheated. I give you a hint. The fuse won't blow or the breaker won't operate till the motor burns out and shorts internally.
I have worn out five shop vacs. NONE of them had a fuse or switch problem. They all had failed bushing/bearings in the motor. The newest one is still new in the box, on stand-by. It cost $20 at Walmart. If the old one fails (and it will, things wear out) I will open the new one, probably will not do much investigation on the old one. It is ten years old. Got twenty bucks of use out of it long ago. Not worth my time. PS, that IS a thermal fuse or fusable link, designed to fail before the motor catches on fire. This guy is not so smart.
That wasn't a fuse at all in my opinion, I've seen stuff like that, it was an intention shut down pin that from personal experience I've seen in all sorts of things from vacuums to radios to fans and so on, designed to break the connection of electrical current and "kill" the device
You act like you know what your doing when you say " these extremely smart people" but your only showing your ignorance to anyone that knows electricity . First off You apparently are using a ground fault circuit and that why your breaker tripped so fast. Not all houses have ground fault circuits to trip the breaker so fast, alot still use fuses instead of breakers. So your ignorance can get someone hurt or electrocuted if they listen to you. And that thing as you called it that you put that fuse in will work unless the amp draw get so high it melts the fuse link cause that's what the broken part was. A fused link that breaks apart when the motor is pulling to many amps or is basically in a bind. People do get electrocuted in houses that have breakers and fuses so never rely on a breaker to think your safe. Use caution and never bypass a safety component or fuse. It's there for a reason and not to just make you buy another vacuum.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Your video just saved me some $. For those of us that have more time than money it was worth it for me to check why my shop vac stopped working. I had the exact problem you mentioned in your vid. I just stuck a auto fuse in between the terminals and it fired right up. Thank you!
Thanks for helping me isolate the problem on my dead shop vac.
I found this video after diagnosing the open circuit at this point. 10 gal/4hp shop vac is 10 years old, heavily used, but the brushes and armature look mint. Seeing the fuse was melted, I put a piece of solder wire between the connectors. Figured that would fail faster than a hard connection or aluminum pin. 🤷♂️ Looks like I'm taking the brand new Rigid 12 gal back today. Lmao.
Yep, self-destruct feature! First vacuum I did this to 20 years ago still running hard yet!
This dude's whole rant about the "experts" not really knowing what they are talking about is a textbook demonstration of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The fuse on your house is meant to protect your house. The fuse on devices are meant to protect devices. They may seem redundant because they do the same thing on the same circuit but they are specific to to amperage and gauge of the wiring. Primarily, fuses are often localized so thermals don't turn into fires. This due to distance between a short fault and the fuse. Example; Say you had a very long run from your home fuse box to your device without a fuse. Then its the difference between your device being warm to the touch to your device being immolated. This further complicated by how A/C power works and how electric motors work where current is stored as a magnetic field and can induce current even when power is 'off'.
I love this segment at the end
Do you have a video where you take apart a DeWalt shop vac motor? Thank you 🤓
You sound like a young Dan Aykroyd on SNL
I have a Dayton shopvac and when I flip the switch the motor spins for a quarter of a second and then trips my circuit breaker on my panel. Any ideas
Try cleaning the motor maybe? Either it drawing too many Amps when it try’s to start or it has a short in the windings in which case there isn’t much you can other than replace the motor
U are amazing, very professional skill.
How do you tell if the switch is bad before proceeding to this fuse replacement? Mine would stick and not go on and off so I did the hack where you cut off the plastic buttons to get at the switches and turn them on but it still does not work.
If your switch is sticking, in my experience that usually means the internals of the switch have melted.
So the yellow switch you pulled out and removed the inner "thermal fuse" or just fuse. Can you remove that, put it back together and run it without it? I tried putting a 15 and 20 amp auto fuse in connecting the post. They both instantly blew.
It is amazing to see how they use such a light gauge winding in the newer motor! Did you see any markings on the housing of that "fuse"? Video moved too fast for me to see it.
No markings, they are built cheap!
Made in china where buy low buy more often is the goal. You want quality you pay more and get a lil better but not top quality. We used to build top quality or near best, now we buy low and buy more often. Or buy a replacement.
My shop vac motor is throwing metal and copper shavings out the top where the little fan is. Any thoughts?
And was billowing black smoke
I used a steel popper rivet, cut it and grinded it down a little bit, stuck it in the fuse as a permanent link. I know its not very safe, but its an old vac and the house im using it in has breakers and fire extinguishers so
Interesting a pop rivet eh
@@radozeman Yup, been running it a lot over the last couple weeks and its doing great. I usually run it for a good 30 minutes at a time, and haven't had any breakers flipping or any warm smell. I followed your video, the only thing I did differently was using the rivet. Thanks for the video
The "doo-hickey" is a THERMAL RESISTOR. Mine blew also, but I'm wondering why it blew in the first place. I'm going to jam a car fuse in it's place and just monitor it I guess.
thank for the video that was the fuse problem.
Mine is a RIDGID 5 gallon. How does the power cord wires(2 wires/ 1 black and 1 white), connect to the 2 wires that hook up to the motor and, on and off switch?
Awesome video. Thanks a lot.
Most of them have a 2 pole switch, both the black and the white connect to one side of the switch and both the motor wires connect to the other side.
Thank you for your reply.
Let me put it this way. Do I have to splice the power cord into the wires that go to the motor"and" to the on and off switch?
Hey, I was cleaning the fan, and the motor started and stopped, unfortunately it was plugged in, now the machine doesn’t work. Could this be a fuse? How can I fix my vacuum?
I would definitely check that! Also make sure you didn't pop the breaker for your outlets.
A 12-volt fuse can be used in a 120-volt circuit. Fuses are rated in amperes, not volts. That's why the 15-amp fuse stood up to your presumably 15-amp breaker.
A lot of debate on that! I couldn’t really find a definitive answer.
@@radozeman I'm only going on my own limited knowledge, so yes, it's up for debate.
I actually tuned in to figure out how to rewire a sweeper that my kid tore apart, but did learn a few other things.
hi rd allen. i have 10 year old bissell vacuum cleaner which suddenly stopped working . i found out ceramic fuse tucked near motor wrapped in black rubber coating. this fuse was on brown wire going to motor.i can read 250v on this fuse , this isn't solder kind of fuse it was clamped on brown wire. anyway i couldn't find slimier thermal fuse on ebay so i just took it off and joined brown wire securely which is going to motor.now everything working fine .
was that fuse was thermal fuse. i dont use vaccum cleaner for long time. plug have 13 amp fuse in it. house is new built with breaker etc. should i be worried
Had that type on an old vacuum as well, did the same thing you did, 15 years later it is still kicking!
@@radozeman thanks a lot RDAllen
Simple fusible link. ( Yellow box ) I agree. Thanks for this video!
Until someone cracks the identity of that fuse, figuring out the rating of a proper replacement and style (to handle all the vibration) seems to be the #1 issue. Then, there is making sure the motor is OK/functional. It is so easy to cook these newer windings and short them out.
I contacted Shopvac and asked them to either provide this as a spare or give the specs. I doubt they will do either. Stand by…
Okay Shopvac said no dice, they won't supply the fusible link, they said buy a new vac or powerhead. Thanks for nothing, Shopvac...
Your dad and my dad have the same old shop vac motor, it has an actual thermal fuse in it (like the one you showed us at 4:30 of the video) take those two screws out separate the casings and after the wire contacts and right before the coated aluminum winding you’ll see a woven fiberglass heat shield sleeve and the thermal fuse is in there. Btw I’m not a smart person just had a broken shop vac and a working phone to google
Can I replace the fuse with a 15 amp car fuse, like in your other video or, do I take the old one out first, if it is the fuse?
I just bought another shop vacuum made by SHOP-VAC with a 6 gal. capacity with bag for $39 98 with tax=$43.28.
I didn't get the 2 year warranty for $4.95 but, I am wondering now, if I should!?
Awesome video. Thanks again.
Seems like a lot of vacuums die after about year! If it is the fuse, I'd just put a car fuse in it.
What size fuse should I use?
Thanks so much for your reply and videos.
I have a stinger shop vac and mine doesn't seem to have a thermal switch. The power switch is good.
Update* I found it hiding under insulation, it is a thermal fuse for 133c 5a 250v. I can't find a 5a fuse tho.
Yea, good luck finding an actual replacement.
There is a reason why the fuse tripped the 1st time. And thermal switches are in the circuit to allow for the rare event that the motor starts to get hot. The thermal switch will open for a period of time and then reset. If the motor is pulling too much current, then it could mean bearings need to be lubed or replaced. Friction there would cause resistance to turn and cause higher operating current
Yea, so you have to buy a new one....
Exactly! Good video but the one thing the video missed is that lubrication of the moving parts, such the bearings, can cause over heating and a fuse failure. Other Shop Vac vids cover this and I myself was able to keep my Shop Vac in working order by simply applying a few drops of "3 In One" oil to the bearings. He should have included that in his video.
If one has a failed fuse I would be curious what the amperage is compared to new. Worn bearings, brushes, or arcing switch may lead to too much amperage use. Ours are used for walnut shell blasting. The bearings get dust through the seals and do not last long.
Seals? those bearings in the vacuum are actually sealed?
Cheaper ones may be bronze sleeve bearing or similar. Haven't bothered with them. Industrial style we use has a sealed ball bearing. Either way I don't think it would be a bad idea to have a way to quickly check its amp draw at the wall plug. Especially at start up. High amp draw would indicate an unseen issue. If you're repairing quite a few. Just food for thought. I have actually seen one that they failed to replace when asked and the fine dust kinda spit a fire ball when the motor arced. Lol just little hair missing.
There's a heck of a lot more to fuse design and specifications than just the rated current. You need to cover ALL fault scenarios, in specified environmental conditions, not just yours. And not just once either - they are specified and usually certified to tight tolerances because they are safety devices.
Fuses are rated NOT to open at their rated current. Their actual opening time depends on their design characteristics (it's plotted as a current-vs-time curve in the specifications. Current breakers have similar, but different, specifications. Some fuses and breakers are even designed to add extra delay to account for such things as inrush current and occasional very-short-term overloads.
The main objection I personally have is you are comparing:
a thermal fuse which is intended to safely open at some point above a rated temperature (the rated - normal- current), safely disconnecting a given current (the fault current), then withstand the peak rated voltage.
with
a current fuse (which is rated to safely open at some rated current flow, within a specified time limit, disconnecting a given fault current, then withstand the peak rated voltage.
then you are saying "the breaker saves you", because in your case, it opened before the fuse did. That's fine for you, but just keep well away from me.
They aren't even designed to do the same job. Do what you want with your own equipment, just don't encourage others to do dangerous things then ridicule people trying to point out potential problems of your thinking - pun intentional.
Thermal fuses are cheap and relatively easily available - so what's the problem?
But is that a thermal fuse? Sure don't look like one to me. Everyone seems to think it is terrible I replaced the "thermal" fuse with a regular fuse, again it doesn't appear to be a thermal fuse!
yeah. it's a cheapo/in-house type. Similar to the older fuse-wire-stretched-between-two-pillars type or re-wireable domestic fuses that were much more common. It's unpackaged, because it's basically designed to be as cheap as possible.
You'll find that the link wire melts if you apply variable-temperature a soldering iron to it. It will usually be made of an alloy with a relatively low melting point. Such in-house/ non encapsulated thermal links are common in motors and especially larger domestic heaters (off-peak nite storage heating in particular).
They usually require some housing to make sure that the molten link does not cause further damage and are oriented so that the run-off cannot cause further shorts. In rapid overloads the arc created as the link opens vaporizes some of the link metal and can deposit a conductive coating of spattered metal on the housing (the plastic housing in your case) - this needs removed, replaced or meticulously cleaned to maintain insulation resistance (because otherwise you have a fuse rated for say 250V but surrounded by a plastic housing that will track arcs at maybe 90V on a damp day, defeating the point)
Packaged (encapsulated) fuses don't suffer from that vaporization/re-deposition problem because the entire package is replaced after a failure. Crimping in a packaged thermal fuse of suitable rating is definitely the best repair. It's also the intended repair, it's just that most people throw these things into landfull (I admit competent well-stocked repair shops are a rarity in this age)
Personally, for a battlefield repair scenario, I'd maybe use a piece of solder crimped in place, but not a standard fuse. For anything but an emergency scenario I'd fit (by crimping, not soldering!) a packaged thermal fuse in it's place (suitably rated of course).
The idea of this fuse is mainly to protect the windings (expensive to replace) in the event of an overheat situation.
The protection scenario is:
hot day in hotsville
shop vac working hard sucking against a big load
user has a lot of work to get through so has been running it flat out for 3 hours
=thermal fuse opens to save the rest of the expensive components. It's fixable at low cost.
So the primary idea of the thermal fuse is to protect the device from damage. It will get "tired" as we say in the trade - in fact it is a moving part with thermal stresses on it. That's because under normal operation the link will expand due to the current passing in it slightly, and eventually, over many cycles or hours of use, will mechanically fail. You can make shop vacs last longer in this respect by not running them for so long (to allow cooldown periods rather than continuous running) and avoiding lonmgterm heavy-suction loads.
Cheaper vacs may be rated for 5 minutes on and 20 or even 30 minutes off. Better ones may be rated for 10 on 10 off. If you need a dust collector, buy a dust collector.
If (like me) you're careful and mindful of the risks (but it's only 10 minutes of my time and a $1 fuse) then you can usually use cheaper vacs successfully for years without problems. If you use bags inside, change them when they are clogged with fine powder (masonry/plaster/rendering dust). Clean the filters regularly etc. I can easily change thermal fuses and keep a small stock of the common ones, but still I'm still very careful about overheating and cooldown periods.
It also has a secondary function of fire protection, because the rest of the wiring maximum continuous temperatures will be rated above the fuse rated temperature. Bear in mind that the thermal fuse will also have a secondary function as an overcurrent fuse too. (especially in many reguins of the world where there is no appliance fuse located in the plug-top (North/South America and most of Europe for example).
Whilst you've used the argument that the "breaker will save you" you also have to consider situations where there is no breaker, it's faulty (it happens), or the breaker is rated too high for the fault in question or the time characteristic does not allow it to trip in time.
A GFI (ELCB/RCD) device does not in itself protect against overcurrent, only an imbalance in currents caused by earth faults. The purpose is to disconnect the phase/s in earth leakage faults. In this case, the overheat or overcurrent scenario will not cause a trip as there will be noi leakage to earth until the motor windings have melted down to such an extent that a bare conductor touched an object bonded to Terra.
Note that many (but by no means all) GFI devices include overcurrent protection too. Others must be protected by a breaker or fusible link. As with all mechanical devices, breakers can and do fail, especially after many cycles.
Overcurrent breakers can also have unpredictable results in extremes of temperatures (cold weather in an unheated garage will usually cause much slower tripping than a hot desert day with the hot air output of a hot-running machine blowing on them). They can also be affected by magnetic fields.
Thermal fuses are very common on motors and in some transformers. Rewinding motors and transformers is an expensive business because it requires uncommon machinery and time, as well as significant expense of copper. Anyone who has done it by hand will testify to the PITA factor. I''d rather have a fuse fail than a vac melt to a puddle of smouldering plastic on the floor while sparks piss out of the remains of the windings.
The "DC vs AC" comments are partly correct because it's a generalization only really valid in the domestic or automotive world and only then in certain circumstances.
DC arcs tend to last longer than AC ones for a given situation, but only at low frequencies. Mains power is, for these purposes, a low frequency. The reversal in polarity helps quench the arc at every zero-crossing. RF plasma is an interesting example of sustained AC arcs but there are many others. Anyone who has witnessed an arcflash incident will testify that AC can arc and the dangers that this can cause. There are a few arcflash vids on youtub - none are pleasant to watch.
Laymen often assume that "DC" is always low voltage and AC is always higher voltage, though that is not the case. I have a box containing several types of high-voltage fuses intended for DC systems rated for around 5kV and they are available up to 30kV DC in encapsulations. Their peak AC rating is slightly higher than the DC at low frequencies, up to about 500Hz if I recall. From a fuse design and selection aspect the AC vs DC aspect is more correctly a fault disconnection current rating - the maximum energy that can be interrupted by the fuse in a given set of circumstances (peak voltage, fault current, frequency, humidity, temperature, surrounding gas and pressure thereof.
Some specialist fuses are nitrogen filled, some are also under slight vacuum, some others have compressed air systems to blow out the arc. These type are all expensive and for special industrial purposes. Other more simple approaches are making the fuse enclosure longer (so the arc won't bridge over at the rated conditions) or filling with sand or other inert material so quench the arc when the link opens. Fuses are complicated and frequently thought of an simple things. They aren't.
As an example of reduced safety margins: in a twin-engined plane, would you take off on one engine (assuming it was even possible?) The safe answer is no.
Would you pucker if you had an engine failure in that plane at low airspeed on a hot day just after takeoff?. The correct answer is yes, very definitely.
Would you worry if you had an engine failure on final approach to land in the same plane? Probably not.
Not every problem has single-scenario fault. By disabling some safety features (bridging a thermal fuse with an overcurrent fuse) you reduce the safety margins for both you, people nearby and the equipment itself.
As a guy that does quite a lot of repair to stuff, I'd place human life *almost* as high as the survival/repairability of the equipment itself :)
I'd also consider (and have fitted) a thermal breaker (self-resetting type) They look like a fat silver-topped button with two 1/4" space connectors sticking out either side. Google for KSD301 - but note that most of these are 10A rated and may not be suitable for use on areas with 110V mains (they are much more suitable for 230V areas as the appliance draws half the current.). I'd *also* fit a thermal fuse with a somewhat higher rating too, by the way, to improve safety for the equipment even further.
To select the correct rating it's a real guessing game - you really need to try and see what temperature the old link melts at. A recently-calibrated variable temperature-controlled soldering iron is what I use. For a destroyed thermal fuse link it's hard because the link itself is often crimped or nicked near the mid-section to encourage failure at that point, so once it's gone open the actual melting point of the remains parts (the ends of the link) may melt at a decivingly-high temperature. The increased resistance at the nicked section (it's crimped to a specific thickness in manufacture determines how hot that link will get at a specific current flow - it's the combination of appliance internal temperature AND the resistance at the nick that determine the rated fusing temperature.
Personally, for a shop vac I'd start an unkown scenario like this by fitting a 130C 10 or 15A permanent thermal fuse, but also add a 85 C to 100C KSD-style breaker (230V mains here) If that trips and resets during my normal use I'd consider using a "hotter" breaker, but I would not go any higher than the 130C permament thermal fuse. (and even if I did use a 120C breaker I'd probably still keep the 130C Thermal fuse at that rating. Note that the mechanical KSD-style thermal breakers are rather inaccurate at have significant hysteresis. If it still trips I'd accept that I'm overheating the vac. These are pure guesses based on past personal experience - 130C may even be far too high to protect the insulation of the wiring and motor windings , especially in the long-term. It all depends on airflow and heat conduction in the case, layout and materials used as well as the mounting position of the thermal breakers and thermal fuse.
It's very important to ensure that whatever breakers and fuses you use are actually capable of handling the normal and fault currents and voltage involved, otherwise you're just making a fire-starter, not a safety fuse. depending on the location and materials (and to an extent, dust and any flammable atmosphere nearby) how bad that will be, if it is even much of a problem at all. It could be a real problem in some places/scenarios though. Yes, brushes arc a little (minimally) in normal use , but something actually burning is more of a risk if the plastic case will melt and burn with say 10 seconds of flame. (been there, done that, in my youth)
Make sure all your crimps and mountinngs are well-dressed and insulated and also that the thermal fuses and breakers need to be at appropriate physical locations. Mounting them in a cold area or in cold airflow means they will never work when they need to (thermal fuses in transformers and better mountings are sometimes slightly buried in the windings themselves or thermally bonded to the laminations to make sure they function as rapidly as possible)
gotta go - my fingers have melted :)
oh one final thing - you may find that the link you show in the vid doesn't even melt even at 220C when you try a soldering iron. But sure enough, with 6- to 10 amps through it, it will fail at a far lower temperature due to the extra resistance at the weak-spot, the nick in it, thanks to internal heating. It's the cumulative effect of ambient in-case temps and the current that determines the fusing temperature.
That gives a very wide margin for error, hence me being very careful about replacing unknown links like this even with high-quality thermal fuses and breakers. Basically, the thermal devices should open safely *before* damage is caused to the other components, not after. The internal wiring may have a temperature rating marked on it, you can use that as a guide if nothing else. Motor windings are usually enamelled wire or similar, with no writing on them although they will have a design specification, in theory.
As you don't want to touch your "temp wiring " to even turn the switch on.....i found it ballsy to pull the 15a fuse out with the circuit still energized.
If you look closely at the fuse, there are 2 small test points that are accessible on the back where it says 15. These are test points for use with meter/test light leads.
Very easy to get lit up by them at 120vac!! Just sayin.....
I like your style not being over cautious like the rest of America!
(Universal/brushed motors can be ran on AC or DC)
My 2¢ worth: The difference between a current limiting fuse and a thermal limiting fuse is simply the process variable it's designed for. One is engineered for a specific max current; the other for a specific max temperature. If the temperature limiting device fails, it could be either high current or high temperature that causes the failure, since too high a current will produce higher temperatures. But, the design parameter is temperature, because the motor is designed to work below a specified max temperature and there are circumstance that can drive the temperature up beyond that parameter in the area of the motor. The air circulation can become blocked. It might be used in an environment where heat is not dissipated well due to high ambient temperatures. And, most likely, blocking the suction hose for too long will cause the motor to freewheel, which will increase the inductive reactance internal to the motor leading to more rapid heat generation.
Replacing the thermal limit with any fuse will make the vacuum work again, and is not a big risk to the operator (IMO), but it is essentially bypassing the motors heat protection which can lead to a burned up motor under any of the circumstances described above.
Your test, while dramatic, doesn't prove anything except that a fuse (any fuse) will blow when placed in a short circuit. I'm sure you already know that.
Love your videos, especially the FS. I hope Google is compensating you for all the time you've put in. I'm certain it must be a lot! … The time, that is.
Herbert Vickers, you must be that horrible so called educated ppl he keeps referring to, shame on you for exposing his lack if superior intelligence.
Lol! … Well Trever, I wish I could say that I am, but unfortunately I only have a HS diploma. And to top it off, I'm not very smart. Why just now, when I got the notice from Google that you had posted a reply, I accidentally dropped your comment from the list and couldn't get it back, while trying to find the click that would navigate me to these comments instead of Goog's drop down menu version of the same. Then I had trouble finding it here, what with all the mundane posts I've been making lately.
And, I've been impressed with Mr. Allen's intelligence. He's smart when it comes to the things within his purview, and no-one can be an expert in all things. Believe me. I've tried.
You and me both. I have spent 40yrs in the electronical and electronics Field and the older I get it seems the less I know bur this particular video violates some of the most basic common sense rules of safety that I have seen. The VAC maker installed that simple cheap thermal fuse to disable the device. They would rather you spend another $100 on a new VAC instead of them spending $1,000,000 in insurace/court costs.
It's true that the VAC maker wants to sell more vacuums, but I don't think there is any connection. It's a safety device; one installed for the protection of the equipment. Under normal use, it would never actuate. And, I'm sure the corporation still pays dearly for product liability insurance.
@@HerbertVickers I would say if you want a better machine from Shop-Vac, save for an industrial or contractor series. The big box store stuff is usually geared toward occasional-use owners.
It fuses itself together and binds your power!
I looked up the yellow part in the parts catalog. It’s called the Doohickey.
Being a doohickey, I don’t think it’s “designed to keep you safe”. I think it’s designed to keep the vacuum motor safe.
Pretty sure the NEC calls it a thinga-ma-jigg.
Thank You. Not the switch but the fuse pin. BUTTPLUGGED IT!! bACK ON LINE AND FEEL SAFE...HA HA
There you go!
Are you able to buy these fuses?
The thermal fuses I showed, yes. Whatever the fuse is in the vacuum, no.
Proper term is a Dew Hickey, not to be confused with Do Hickey.
i wonder why all the fuss.thanx for your effert i will try yur fix on my old broken S.V.
where can i buy that fuse from?
The official "fuse" that goes in the vacuum? I have no idea, the fuse I used was just a regular vehicle fuse.
The fuse doesn't know what voltage is used, only the current (amperage) in
Barry Case Baloney. It's entirely possible to have the fuse arc over and continue to conduct if the fuse opens and the voltage is too high for it. Not only will it continue to conduct, it will start on fire. Fuses have a voltage rating for a reason, it's not a scam to get you to buy more fuses. Even in this video you can see a problem: 12V fuses that open on 12V will not get charred like that.
Maybe these particular 12V fuses don't start fires on 125V. But don't expect them all to behave this way.
Like KC9UDX said, the amperage is what causes the heating and the fuse to fail initially, but the voltage rating is what prevents that failure from cascading into something catastrophic. Oh, and also things like how many 12V fuses have exposed test points so you can text their status while installed, but for 120V, if you put your hand directly on one of those contacts it will bite you.
Your do-hickey is actually called a Contact Relay. After awhile it just wears out like any other electrical tip.
No that is not a relay, it some sorta of fuse.
Over current protection device(fuse) voltage rating references the internal pressure rating of the device(fuse). A 120 volt 100a fuse will grenade in a 600v 100a circuit and a 12v fuse will damage its fuse holder connections at 120v over time. Since there is no OCPD selective coordination achieved and the OCPD not user serviceable at the equipment an OCPD is pointless so securely by-pass it. A fuse does not encounter wear throughout its service life as a breaker does .It is either good or bad. Whatever that was it was not neither a fuse or a thermal overload but likely a cheap wearable link designee to initiate scheduled manufacturer maintenance or notice end of end service life so check wearable s such as brushes and bearings before recommissioning the equipment. Expensive equipment have factory programed counters that shut equipment down and flash a maintenance service code. Same deal here
so if it was running and it just stopped running - aim for the fuse vice the switch? And if I'm replacing the fuse what are your thoughts on just replacing the switch as well?
Depends on the age or your shop vac, olders ones seem to have better switches, it is only the newer ones (last 5 years or so) that I have had an issue with.
Do not lift a shopvac up by the handle while the machine is running. There exist a circuit that runs through the plastic that's very difficult to I found it with a m looking for continuity. Anyway if you lift up on the handle while the machine runs you momentarily break the circuit and cause an arcing. The arcing further destroys the device in the lid. Eventually with enough lifts it fails. The device has no other purpose but to our arc when lifted. It has to be planned obsolescence. It was covertly install where you wouldn't notice it. The solution is just to bypass this device. Then it runs perfect again
Interesting.
No, it’s not interesting. This guy is definitely on some drugs.
Really! Thanks mr.!!!!
3 failure points. (1)Power switch, incorrectly called (2)thermal connector and the( 3)bushing that noone kept lubed.
looks like your one of the smart people , you know what i mean
No way that's a do hickey. It's a thing-ma-jig.
Found a burned up thermal overload in mine. Where can u get replacement?
Check their website they do have some parts.
The "thermal fuse" you held up looked like it said 10 amps. "139" without a type of unit would not make any sense for this.
Still using your TORAX bit to fix your shoes
The problem with that automotive fuse, that you have overlooked, is that the pins are exposed.... dude that’s 110v live that if you touch the fuse will shock you. The exposed pins are for using a 12v probe test light. Look at the top of the fuse and notice the two metal exposed pins. Your house breakers don’t have bare wire or pins exposed until you remove the panel.
Looks like you answered your own point with the last bit of your comment!
RDAllen your tear looked exposed, if it’s inside then i guess go for it.
Smh....... I want to be extremely smart like you but I'm just not. So I was thinking for your next video maybe you could just hold one side of the fuse and try this again. If the breaker blows there's nothing to worry about right?
gotta love then safety police.... if it don't work, what's the big deal.If the motor starts bogging, or smoking, then you'll just hafta $pend the $$$ for another one ANYWAY...... shock of shocks !! NOTICE: IF YOUR ELECTRIC MOTOR STARTS SMOKING, UNPLUG THE DAMNED THING....
Mine just did this and I havent even had it 3 days. Went to use it for the 2nd time and wont turn on
If its new, take it back then! If you can't take it back, then time to start checking!
Looks like that's an internal fuse of some type my Shop-Vac quit working watched your video on some problems and mine was that fuse I put a butt connector in it granted internet police will say use a fuse or OEM product Etc if that's what you want to use use that internet police
Yep, I did that exact same thing with another vacuum I have, 15 years later that vacuum is still running strong! It probably would be safer to have some sorta fuse....
Mine too. Took me a while to find the culprit since it worked intermittently. I was thinking about using a 14 ga solid wire to replace the fusible material . If the motor is starting to overload, the next death will most likely be permanent even if I could get the replacement part for a discontinued model. Built in 2 cent demise.
Came here to see if I was on the right track.
Why does he sound like a character on Family Guy
The oldest working light bulb still working since 1901 at a fire station. Is used used everyday and was even transferred to a different building with an escorts. It’s Crazy how we have people starving and poor and they can’t solve it, but ohhh lets rip people off and waste money. Things are made to break and manufacturers are getting greedier.
Amazing that bulb is sill on yet!
I’m not gonna get into the nuances of how to refer to the fuse, but 100% for sure it is designed to break continuity when shorted or when too much power is drawn, not at a specific temperature.
That being said, I really wish I could buy one of these for cheap right now, but absolutely do not just connect them together.
Do you want your vacuum to catch on fire and burn your house down?
For phucks sake if you can’t replace it with something that will properly protect the circuit just get a new one, do not rely on your household breaker to prevent the device from internal issues.
You realize the outlet it is plugged into is protected right? The correct fuse mostly likely is a thermal fuse (thermal = heat), most sensible manufactures will put a resetting type fuse. It is clear they put this in the vacuum so you have to buy a new one.
That yellow part is a doohickey, part of a company's planned obsolescence, and operates like a thermal wax.
Right! Makes it so you have to buy a new one!
A lot of clip your holding the part to close. Can't see what your doing.
If the motor is fried, its about the same price as a whole new shop vac. These things are engineered for premature failure. And you can forget about Ridgids "lifetime" warranty- its no more.
They are unfortunately all made almost the same now and like you said designed to fail.
My old shop vac had a lifetime warranty and they even sent me a replacement powerhead with no hassle didn’t have to return the old one or anything, they still offer some with that lifetime warranty, but the one I replaced it with was a cheap one because I wanted the stainless steel and it does not have a lifetime warranty
Here’s a video of how a guy wired in a thermal fuse, rather than a jumper:
ruclips.net/video/F2BeXxrusEg/видео.html
that is a 10 amp thermal fuse you had there it clearly had 10A on its side maybe 139 was voltage value ?
Fuse
Hey smart guy.... You shouldn't mess with electricity when it's obvious you don't know what your Doing... Wouldn't say I'm one of these extremely smart people your talking about But i am a master electrician... And putting a larger fuse in until it won't blow anymore is how houses burn to the ground.. The breaker tripped first because you created a dead short and the breaker did exactly what it's designed to do. Swap that breaker in your panel for a 20 amp and use the 15 amp fuse that didn't blow bet it will now but i don't recommend it.. Hopefully nobody plugs into a circuit rated for 20 amps because that shop vac isn't gonna work anymore...
That is a 20 AMP circuit with a 20 AMP breaker!
maybe a a thermal fuse ????? the yellow do hicky
The yellow is just a piece of plastic that holds it all.
I meant 5 gallon.
Engineered Obsolescence?
Exactly if you ask me!
So I have a fein vac, it's been awesome. I'm a marine carpenter and they have an outlet that your tool plugs into so the vac turns on when the tool is operating. The other day it started tripping the GFI switches when I plug it in. Any suggestions?
So in other words the equipment can be as electrically dangerous as you like so long as your house wiring is up to spec?
This is a dangerous practice whether you disagree or disparage the "extremely smart people" (as you put it) tell you so or not. All you've demonstrated is that fuses and trips (breakers) operate on a dead short circuit. You've also demonstrated what electricians know as discrimination. The fuse in the appliance is meant to fail before the breaker in order to avoid the whole circuit tripping out. In the same way the fuse in your home supply is meant to operate before the substation fuses!
Now demonstrate what happens when your motor gets overloaded or overheated. I give you a hint. The fuse won't blow or the breaker won't operate till the motor burns out and shorts internally.
thermal fuse, designed to break
painful to skip around looking for the info you came for.
It’s not a thermal fuse, let’s say it about 50 more times!!!
thermal self destruct device lmfao....
There we go!
That little thing there is a fuse. Its purpose is to fuse your money to the big corporations banking account.
ha that's a good one lol!
I have worn out five shop vacs. NONE of them had a fuse or switch problem. They all had failed bushing/bearings in the motor. The newest one is still new in the box, on stand-by. It cost $20 at Walmart. If the old one fails (and it will, things wear out) I will open the new one, probably will not do much investigation on the old one. It is ten years old. Got twenty bucks of use out of it long ago. Not worth my time. PS, that IS a thermal fuse or fusable link, designed to fail before the motor catches on fire. This guy is not so smart.
Walmart doesn’t sell any shop vacs for $20 not even five years ago are you buying some knock off or are you paying more than $20?
That wasn't a fuse at all in my opinion, I've seen stuff like that, it was an intention shut down pin that from personal experience I've seen in all sorts of things from vacuums to radios to fans and so on, designed to break the connection of electrical current and "kill" the device
This is some part time handymad bullshit.
First comment!!
Great video keep it up :-)
You act like you know what your doing when you say " these extremely smart people" but your only showing your ignorance to anyone that knows electricity . First off You apparently are using a ground fault circuit and that why your breaker tripped so fast. Not all houses have ground fault circuits to trip the breaker so fast, alot still use fuses instead of breakers. So your ignorance can get someone hurt or electrocuted if they listen to you. And that thing as you called it that you put that fuse in will work unless the amp draw get so high it melts the fuse link cause that's what the broken part was. A fused link that breaks apart when the motor is pulling to many amps or is basically in a bind. People do get electrocuted in houses that have breakers and fuses so never rely on a breaker to think your safe. Use caution and never bypass a safety component or fuse. It's there for a reason and not to just make you buy another vacuum.