# APPLIANCE REPAIR QUESTION



## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

This fuse is from a toaster oven. It went bad last night. I have not seen a fuse that looks like this one. It is rated at *10 amps, 250 volts*. The information not visible in the photo is as follows; *CO575, SEFUSE, SF169E, 172 degrees centigrade*. All that on this little piece of metal. My question to you electrical experts is this; Can I substitute a ceramic fuse, rated at *10 amps,250 volts,* in place of the bad fuse? The ceramic fuse looks like the typical cylindrical glass fuse with the exception of being ceramic instead of glass.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

If you looked this up on the internet, you would probably find it's a faster than normal blow fuse, and probably blows at a different current rating. Also, the 172 degree rating may mean it's not a fuse, but a thermal cutout. 

If it went bad, then maybe there is a reason for it, and putting the wrong thing in it may cause a bigger and more dangerous problem. 

A couple of minutes on google giave me this: 

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/nec/SF109E.pdf

It is indeed a thermal fuse... this means it got hotter than 172 degrees Centigrade... so, you most likely had a problem somewhere else, like the thermostat went bad and the toaster oven was overheating. 


(This fuse tripped at 341 degrees F OR ABOVE)

Regards, Greg



Do not use this device for any purpose other than as a thermal cutoff.
The thermal cutoff is designed to detect abnormal rises in temperature and break circuits if needed. It is not
a current fuse that cuts excess current. If used as a current fuse, the SEFUSE may malfunction.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

I'm far from an electrical expert, but go ahead and try. Unless the fuse is very expensive. The current rating and voltage are the same, so.... I've fixed a lot of stuff just 'seeing' if....

Les


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Don't do it... what can go wrong is that the over will go OVER 341 degrees and catch on fire or melt something or hurt someone.

Buy a new toaster oven, unless you want to debug what is *really *wrong with it. 


Greg


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Greg,

I appear to be cursed on this site tonite: the first time my answer hung up, the second time part of yours didn't load, the screen width was all srewy--way too wide, the third time with the 'oops' post, all yours loaded and the screen size went normal. I then saw the red line info, and I agree with everything you said.

Nix my suggestion, unless he just wants to try, because the ceramic one is a current-limiter. It might just blow. Big question, is the SEFUSE all that expensive?

Les


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks to both of you. It most likely is not worth the effort to hunt down the part. I'll just go with the flow and buy a new oven. Greg, the part you found looks exactly like the part I have pictured. My guess is that either the fuse went due to age, 4 years?, not that old, or a spike from the power company if thats possible.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmm, my 1959 Sunbeam T-20 automatic works as well as the day it was made.... 

It really is a shame one cannot buy parts for many household items anymore. Cords are about it these days.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, well it's supposed to be a thermal fuse, not over current, over temp. Lots of stuff goes bad with age, not a power spike, remember it is a thermal cutout, not current based. 

Would scare me that the heat regulation system is kaput in your oven. Yep, I found the exact part for you. Don't want to see anyone get injured over something like this, $25 will buy a nice toaster oven, and $50 will buy a really fancy one... 

Regards, Greg


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## Hagen (Jan 10, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 03/11/2009 8:11 PM
Yeah, well it's supposed to be a thermal fuse, not over current, over temp. Lots of stuff goes bad with age, not a power spike, remember it is a thermal cutout, not current based. 

Would scare me that the heat regulation system is kaput in your oven. Yep, I found the exact part for you. Don't want to see anyone get injured over something like this, $25 will buy a nice toaster oven, and $50 will buy a really fancy one... 

Regards, Greg

If this thermal safety did go because of a spike from the power company, then sou would your TV, refridgerator, lamps, trains and so on...
It's not a current limiter, it's a *thermal safety*, the 10A marking just indicates it is rated for 10A current...

Trying to swap it out for an overcurrent protector (also know as fuse), would be dangerous, most likely causing a fire.

If you can't swap like for like or for one that does the same job, then don't bother. A fuse doesn't do the same job


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I thought the same thing. Why wouldn't my computer have "blown up"? 
There are much older appliances that I have or had that are still going strong. Our first set of major appliances we bought when we moved into our house thirty five years ago lasted the longest. I remember replacing the pump on the washing machine. When I opened up the machine to remove the old pump, I found nails, that I had left in my overalls, embeded in the walls of the pump, actually protruding though the walls of it! And that was after at least ten years of service. Our present dryer must be forty years old. It's too bad that its difficult to find these types of appliances now days, unless you are willing to fork out alot of money without question.


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