Kitchen Small Electric Appliances - Voltage on microwave fuse: 125v vs 250v?
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Voltage on microwave fuse: 125v vs 250v?
jeremy_aff
09-20-09, 03:44 AM
tldr; can I replace a 15A125V fuse with a 15A250V fuse in a microwave?
My microwave suddenly stopped working after opening the door in a less-than-careful way. It was not cooking at the time. Researching on the internet leads me to believe that I tripped the safety mechanism on the door and caused it to blow the fuse.
The fuse (ceramic canister) was in-line with the electrical cord immediately after entering the microwave's housing. It is stamped as "15A125V." The circuit diagram inside the housing indicates that there is only that one fuse.
I have searched local hardware stores (6 in total) and I cannot find any 125V canister fuses. I have only been able to find "microwave fuses" stamped as 15A250V. I did find one package of fuses labeled as 15A125V, but the fuses inside were stamped 15A250V.
My question is: can I replace the 15A125V fuse with a 15A250V fuse? I really don't understand why all the fuses sold here are 250V since our domestic electricity is 120V. Are they interchangeable?
Thanks in advance for any help.
My microwave suddenly stopped working after opening the door in a less-than-careful way. It was not cooking at the time. Researching on the internet leads me to believe that I tripped the safety mechanism on the door and caused it to blow the fuse.
The fuse (ceramic canister) was in-line with the electrical cord immediately after entering the microwave's housing. It is stamped as "15A125V." The circuit diagram inside the housing indicates that there is only that one fuse.
I have searched local hardware stores (6 in total) and I cannot find any 125V canister fuses. I have only been able to find "microwave fuses" stamped as 15A250V. I did find one package of fuses labeled as 15A125V, but the fuses inside were stamped 15A250V.
My question is: can I replace the 15A125V fuse with a 15A250V fuse? I really don't understand why all the fuses sold here are 250V since our domestic electricity is 120V. Are they interchangeable?
Thanks in advance for any help.
GregH
09-20-09, 06:44 AM
You can readily use a fuse of a higher voltage rating at a lower voltage and stocking higher rated fuses would reduce inventory carried.
It is also common to see 240 volt rated fuses in appliances because the device is designed to work in NA and overseas where the higher voltage is in common use.
Be aware that on some microwave ovens there is a special interlock switch that if the door mechanism malfunctions a switch in the door will trip and blow the fuse to prevent microwave leakage.
If this occurs the switch is a one use device and will have to be replace and the door adjusted or fixed so it doesn't trip again.
This setup is used on Panasonic ovens but I am unsure of others.
It is also common to see 240 volt rated fuses in appliances because the device is designed to work in NA and overseas where the higher voltage is in common use.
Be aware that on some microwave ovens there is a special interlock switch that if the door mechanism malfunctions a switch in the door will trip and blow the fuse to prevent microwave leakage.
If this occurs the switch is a one use device and will have to be replace and the door adjusted or fixed so it doesn't trip again.
This setup is used on Panasonic ovens but I am unsure of others.