Logo

What exactly is the difference between a surge protector and a fuse? Can a fuse protect the electronic devices from lightning instead of surge protector?

12.06.2025 09:40

What exactly is the difference between a surge protector and a fuse? Can a fuse protect the electronic devices from lightning instead of surge protector?

“ … to protect building, lightning arrestor, is provided above building and directly connected to earth.”

There is no harm in having the surge suppressor along with the fuse in the circuit. The fuse will not open up until the current melts the link. This will take time, and in the interim, that jolt will get transmitted into the power supplies.

These are simplified answers to the original question, and does not change anything I wrote above.

What does it mean when a guy says he's afraid of falling for someone else after going through heartbreaks?

For this case there are devices called Metal oxide varistors (MOV).

But during the surge, the fuse will not blow if it is a longer duration and lower value )10 to 50%).

There are two important concepts here.

How did the DMK alliance manage to keep the BJP out of Tamil Nadu politics all these years? Is the picture now changing in Tamil Nadu after the entry of Annamalai?

This is a photo where a lightning bolt took out a home's complete mains distribution box, and a lot of electronic gear as well.

the problem then depends on "how fast does the fuse operate?".

eight

Why does my best friend call me ugly and act like she’s joking, but today she looked at me and said “I wouldn’t lie to you”? What should I say back to her?

One is “what exactly is in a ‘surge protector’ ? ”

It seems Mohan does not understand the difference between a comment and an Answer.

2024–10–16 [ OO OLAOYE OYEBODE ]

Do Republicans realize that the power of the people is invested in 'representative government'? If so, why did they elect a pathological liar?

The other is “what does a “fuse” do?”

Would individual surge supressors have save this equipment? most likely, since the surge supressor would take the jolt instead of the electronic components.

What is lightning?

Wildcats Win Chapel Hill Super Regional, Advance to 19th College World Series - University of Arizona Athletics

Here is a simplified AC power diagram.

The third is lightning and “how it gets conducted into a home.”

So combined with a device called a MOV or Metal-oxide-resistor, then forms the 3rd part of a “surge suppressor “.

Game-Changing Fossil Discovery Reveals That Reptiles Appeared on Earth Millions of Years Earlier Than Thought - SciTechDaily

In schematic diagrams this is the symbol for a fuse:

Because the load is inductive, the current lags the voltage.(by a bit).

nine

What happens to single guys when they get older?

But… the neutral is now “floating” because of the 1 ohm resistance.

Once the voltage goes over 0.0650 volts, then this fact can be used to amplify the difference, and turn the circuit breaker off , furthur down the line. Essentially that is what a RCD/GFCI does, it compares the incoming current, to the outgoing current, and if the difference between the two currents is over 5mA, then it trips the circuit breaker.

but I think this circuit , shows a few more pieces.

What do you typically do while on meth?

The MOV will conduct when the voltage exceeds 50% of line voltage.

Barnstars:

It’s been three xxx five werks, and there has been no response to my follow on query on his Commment to my answer.

Why does it seem that Quora's "moderators" base their moderations on personal beliefs and views by deleting answers that are only violating their personal feelings?

At least they know the answer if they wanted it.

He then describes the function of a fuse.

Can the fuse protect the electronic devices from lightning instead of a surge protector.

How severely should I get punished? Please describe throughly. Today I got my result of my test nd I found out that I failed in 2 subjects, my parents are currently in abroad nd I lied to them about the fail but I feel guilty now.

so, what happens?

There are three different concepts here that are getting confused.

“ A surge suppressor is the one which is connected at the input supply so that when there is a sudden change voltage it bypasses thereby protecting the (circuit) and electronic components”

First Sentence:

I post the exact comment here.

So, the voltage could go up to 500 volts, and the fuse will not open up.

[old diagram got deleted by accident]

A fuse is a non-resetable over current circuit protector.

This device then solves the entire problem.

It also is a device that limits the change in current flow.

If the nominal power is 4,000 watts then the current at 230volts is 16 amps.

This is where the MOV conducts again, and dissipated the energy.

Fuses, on their own, then operate much slower than the MOV variable resistance, during the lightning strike.

so, the loop of wire then, when put together with another loop reduces the ‘noise’ on a power line.

These devices are installed between the “hot” and “neutral” and protective ground.

At one ohm, the resistor has a maximum of 1 watt power.

And this is the problem alone. Is the power supply in the equipmemt designed with a lightning strike in mind? Some yes, others, no.

2024–10–11 [Victor Olarewsju Victor Olarewaju ]

but this device (an Inductor) … impedes the rapid changes in the current.

2024–10–14 [Omar Gharbi Omar Gharbi ]

2024–10–10[John johnson John Johnson ]

Upvotes:

This is an electronic circuit designed to clamp voltages so that the Voltage Potential that appears at the outlet is never going to exceed the nominal value.

An AC voltage/ current source, and an ac inductive load.

So, it’s possible that these devices from Trip Lite have addition suppression devices, these ones seem to be sturdy.

He then describes Rainy Season and Lightning.

“ A fuse is a device which protects the (circuit) against overload and short circuit.”

But it can get overloaded, and no longer works.

2024–10–00 [ Ammar Mahdi ] Ammar Mahdi

Mohan forgets that a fuse is a one-time device, and needs to be replaced if it is tripped.

When the current is 200% of the rated value , it will “go open” (the link metal melts) and protect the device.

This is where this question deviates from being a 'generic' question, and becomes more specific.

[image of Common-mode choke]

This one hit behind the barn.

a photo is worth a thousand words.

(There is no concept of polarity, in the loop because the current changes direction 100 to 120 times a second (power frequency).

P = e* I, so since I is 16 amps, then the voltage dropped is 1/16 volt or 0.0650 volts.

He then asserts :

Now when you have a certain ac resistance, then a current flows in a loop.

At the secondary, it is 1000 times less.)turns ratio). If it gets hit with a 100,000 volt bolt of lightning then the voltage arrestors conduct and clamp the voltage down to line voltage, ( but a small amount leaks down the line). This is the problem.

Lightning arrestor is a spark-gap device, and can be installed anywhere. What is important, is that the wire is thick enough to withstand the lightning bolt and conduct the energy away from the building.

2024–10–11 [Bobby Sanchez Bobby Sanchez ].

2024–09–27 [ Mohan Rajaratnam Mohan Rajaratnam ] . Thinks you can get free electricity from nothing : Mohan Rajaratnam's answer to Is it possible to generate free electricity at home using a magnet or other low-cost methods? If so, how does it work?

This is a high voltage low current spike that comes down the line because of the power poles being struck, and the voltage suppressors activating on the primary side of the transformer.

Edit 2024–10.

What does a fuse do?

This is 'the assistant's answer'

what exactly is a ‘surge’ protector?

One

(Dc diagram shown, AC is similar).

OK, this is Mohan Rajaratnam’s definition of a Surge suppressor.

Is the question then , "why buy a surge supressor, if the fuse alone protects the electronic circuits from a lightning bolt?".

The bolt then partially travels down the line to your home.

A circuit breaker is similar, but is resettable.

This is the picture of an electronic coil of wire wound around a core of magnetic material.