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Old 10-03-2022, 10:56 PM   #1
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THOR #3923
Why are resettable fuses used on power seats?

I installed power seats in my coach and about to wire them up. In doing research when it comes to the wiring, it perplexes me why are resettable fuses used instead of just regular fuses. Anyone know the reasons?

If there was a short, I'd want my fuse to below, not automatically reset, only to blow again, and repeat. I'd want the fuse to blow, break the circuit and figure out what caused it.

Also, I'm discovering that most power to the seats are connected to the chassis battery, but then some have connected up to the house. I'm trying to think if one way is better than the other. The only advantage I can see in connecting up to the house batteries, is that the chassis batter will not get drained from using the seats...case in point; my seats are heated...what if the button accidently got depressed and the seats are heating all night...go to start your engine only to find the chassis battery is dead.

Anyone want to share their thoughts on this?

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Old 10-03-2022, 11:22 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jusplainwacky View Post
I installed power seats in my coach and about to wire them up. In doing research when it comes to the wiring, it perplexes me why are resettable fuses used instead of just regular fuses. Anyone know the reasons?

If there was a short, I'd want my fuse to below, not automatically reset, only to blow again, and repeat. I'd want the fuse to blow, break the circuit and figure out what caused it.

Also, I'm discovering that most power to the seats are connected to the chassis battery, but then some have connected up to the house. I'm trying to think if one way is better than the other. The only advantage I can see in connecting up to the house batteries, is that the chassis batter will not get drained from using the seats...case in point; my seats are heated...what if the button accidently got depressed and the seats are heating all night...go to start your engine only to find the chassis battery is dead.

Anyone want to share their thoughts on this?
That's why they are normally ignition switched.
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Old 10-03-2022, 11:33 PM   #3
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I suspect that it's to account for jams or obstructions which may cause enough surge to blow a fuse. Could be more likely to annoy if every time you left your briefcase in a weird spot behind the seat it blew a fuse?
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Old 10-04-2022, 01:26 AM   #4
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Interesting, mine has automatic resetting breakers, 30 amp
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Old 10-04-2022, 07:52 AM   #5
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Interesting, mine has automatic resetting breakers, 30 amp
What's so weird about that? That's what is typically used and I'm asking why. Why would anyone want to have a fuse reset if there was a condition that caused it to fail in the first place?

As I mentioned, I'd rather that the fuse blow and not re-energize the circuit until the problem is found in what caused it to begin with. Just not sure what the purpose is.
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Old 10-04-2022, 07:55 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
That's why they are normally ignition switched.
So if a person wanted to say turn their set around, and raise the footrest (or lower it) to watch TV, they would have to turn on the ignition and then turn it off? And they what if they leave that on??

That seems pretty inconvenient. And this is why I was thinking of connecting up the house batteries. I would rather find my house batteries dead then my chassis.
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Old 10-04-2022, 08:14 AM   #7
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Well if you tripped a Circuit Breaker ( fuse ) , you would know there is an issue & should investigate . Reset-able Fuse is nothing more then a Breaker like is in your house. If you blow a Fuse , you replace it , well with a reset-able Fuse , you don't have to have extra Fuses laying around & hope you have the correct amperage one . Trouble shooting an electrical issue is no different.

Wire it the way you want , its your upgrade , if it doesn't work out , it can be changed & my Power seats are powered by Ignition .
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Old 10-04-2022, 10:00 AM   #8
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Well if you tripped a Circuit Breaker ( fuse ) , you would know there is an issue & should investigate . Reset-able Fuse is nothing more then a Breaker like is in your house. If you blow a Fuse , you replace it , well with a reset-able Fuse , you don't have to have extra Fuses laying around & hope you have the correct amperage one . Trouble shooting an electrical issue is no different.

Wire it the way you want , its your upgrade , if it doesn't work out , it can be changed & my Power seats are powered by Ignition .
Thanks for taking a stab at my question, but what you explained is a manual breaker...that is not what I'm referring to.

There is a difference between a fuse that you can manually reset such as a "breaker", then there are fuses that have a low temp metal which melts when the current exceeds its rating...and then there are thermal fuses, that once the current exceeds the rated current, the bi-metal heats up and mechanically breaks the circuit...once the circuit is broken, there is no more current, and once there is no more current, the bi-metal cools and reconnects, and the cycle continues.
Many of the fuses used in power seats is a bi-metal fuse...that resets itself. The question is...why do they use this type of fuse? As I mentioned, I would not want a fuse to reset itself if an over current condition were encountered.
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Old 10-04-2022, 11:14 AM   #9
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Sometimes simplicity is bliss!
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Old 10-04-2022, 01:37 PM   #10
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I do not know the makers reasoning for a resetting fuse, but to my mind If the fuse was in the engine compartment and one could not get to the fuse to manually reset it, it could leave your drivers seat in a position that you could not drive.


If your fuse is easily reached.....then i have no clue.
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Old 10-04-2022, 01:37 PM   #11
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Headlights and wipers are typically on automatic resetting breakers

My camera's are on the passenger seat beaker also

Since it also has the foot rest it is on the house switch as it should be
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Old 10-04-2022, 01:43 PM   #12
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Pull the breakers out, insert a fuse, be happy
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Old 10-04-2022, 03:27 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by lwmcguir View Post
Pull the breakers out, insert a fuse, be happy
I installed power seats and haven't wired them up, so I have no fuses or breakers. It was when I was looking what is out there that I discovered this and it was perplexing to me.
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Old 10-04-2022, 03:29 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by lwmcguir View Post
Headlights and wipers are typically on automatic resetting breakers

My camera's are on the passenger seat beaker also

Since it also has the foot rest it is on the house switch as it should be
Interesting...that yours is on the house batteries instead of the chassis...which makes more sense to me, yet it appears more a connected to the chassis.
I don't want to have to turn on the ignition each time I want to adjust my seats, yet my concern is that I might be missing something.
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Old 10-04-2022, 03:41 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Jusplainwacky View Post
I installed power seats and haven't wired them up, so I have no fuses or breakers. It was when I was looking what is out there that I discovered this and it was perplexing to me.
In cars - seats, windows, power steering wheel and peddle positioners as well headlights are auto resetting CBs. This is required by DOT to prevent the the operator being trapped in the vehicle involved in accident or fire.
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Old 10-04-2022, 03:43 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Beau388 View Post
In cars - seats, windows, power steering wheel and peddle positioners as well headlights are auto resetting CBs. This is required by DOT to prevent the the operator being trapped in the vehicle involved in accident or fire.
LADIES AND GENTS WE HAVE A WINNER IN ANSWERING THE QUESTION!!

Interesting...I didn't know that and being an electronic engineer it perplexed me!!

Mystery solved!
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Old 10-08-2022, 08:53 PM   #17
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THOR #3923
I contacted the manufacture of the seats and they said that it's a bad idea to put in a automatic-resetting fuse as it becomes a fire hazard. So, I wonder why I see some coaches with the self-resetting fuses, cause I was thinking the same thing. Weird.
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Old 10-09-2022, 12:57 PM   #18
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Circuit breakers are used in the 7 different power seats i checked

All Tuscany coaches have two 30 amp resetting circuit brealers, one per seat

Apparently they all didn't read the memo

Fuse by definition is a fuse
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Old 10-09-2022, 01:05 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by lwmcguir View Post
Circuit breakers are used in the 7 different power seats i checked

All Tuscany coaches have two 30 amp resetting circuit brealers, one per seat

Apparently they all didn't read the memo

Fuse by definition is a fuse
Thanks for the info!
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Old 10-09-2022, 02:02 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Jusplainwacky View Post
Thanks for taking a stab at my question, but what you explained is a manual breaker...that is not what I'm referring to.

There is a difference between a fuse that you can manually reset such as a "breaker", then there are fuses that have a low temp metal which melts when the current exceeds its rating...and then there are thermal fuses, that once the current exceeds the rated current, the bi-metal heats up and mechanically breaks the circuit...once the circuit is broken, there is no more current, and once there is no more current, the bi-metal cools and reconnects, and the cycle continues.
Many of the fuses used in power seats is a bi-metal fuse...that resets itself. The question is...why do they use this type of fuse? As I mentioned, I would not want a fuse to reset itself if an over current condition were encountered.

I think there is some confusion here on the common types of fuses & breakers:
* Fuse: Blows on over current and must be replaced
* Thermal fuse: Blows on excessive temperature - often used in small fan motors where they are not meant to be replaced - you throw that away
* Resettable fuse: Also PTC (for positive temperature coefficient) is essentially a solid-state device that never fully disconnects the load when it "trips", thus power must be removed to reset it.
* Circuit breaker: Must be manually reset
* Self-reset or Auto-reset breaker: Typically bi-metal and will continue to cycle until the overload condition goes away

You can always place a piezo buzzer across an auto-reset breaker and then you have a beeping notification for the overload...
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