Ice Maker Repair

[bugstein]

I am replacing a thermal fuse in my ice maker. Can't find the exact replacement, but it is a 250v 3a 102C fuse. Will any fuse matching those stats be OK ?? the fuse was attached to the line by I guess what's called a copper C crimp and insulated with a shrink wrap (plus some clear plastic insulation that covered the bare wire up to the thermal fuse). Would it be okay to just use a wire nut to attach the fuse to the wire and wrap with electrical tape, and insulate up to the thermal fuse with the clear plastic insulation ??

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[shrtrnd]

I've never seen a thermal fuse wired-up the way you intend to do the repair.
The thermal fuse is best crimped in the wiring circuit as you originally found it.
The fuse opens at 102 degrees C. If you've got a wire-nut you might not make good mechanical contact
with the circuit for heat-transfer purposes.
Sure, it might work fine, but why mess with what is a known good crimp connection.

 

[Bluejets]

As I read it, the wire nuts are for connection to the fuse tails, not the fuse body for heat transfer.

 

[bugstein]

As I read it, the wire nuts are for connection to the fuse tails, not the fuse body for heat transfer.

That is correct--wire nut the fuse tails to the correct wires. Would any thermal fuse with those numbers be OK ?? Do you see any problem with my proposed fix ??

 

[tedstruk]

You should use that fuse exactly... those specs exactly. and you should also go to radio shack and get a set of crimpons and some heat shrink tubing to put it all in. Don't forget to put the shrink tubing on the wire before you do the repair, or you will have to redo the entire repair. frankly, I have never heard of a thermal fuse before, so you are on your own as far as that goes. I'm sure you have one, and I am sure it needs replaced or you wouldn't be doing it right? If it gets hot, electrical tape will melt.

 

[bugstein]

Thanks for the help....

 

[shrtrnd]

Wire nuts are typically rated for 90 degrees C.
A thermal fuse opens at a specific temperature, in your case 102 degrees C.
Thermal fuses are intended to protect your ice machine from damage/fire.
Why, I ask, is it so difficult, to just crimp the thermal fuse replacement back into the circuit,
instead of jury-rigging something that might defeat it's purpose?

 

[bugstein]

Couldn't find the copper crimps on line. It is very small, about 1/4" but I will try Radio Shack and Home depot to see if they have it or a substitute. I'm obviously no expert on electronics, but isn't the thermal fuse tripped by heat, and not current. This thermal fuse is the first "stop" on the hot wire, and it sits in a hole between the ice maker electronics and the mold. I think its purpose is to shut down the ice maker if the heater in the mold gets stuck in the on positon. What do you think ?? Anyway I will follow your advice and try to fix as it was originally. Thanks for the help--electronics is very interesting and I've learned quite a bit on line about electricity and circuits.

Jeff

 

[shrtrnd]

Correct. Thermal fuses operate by temperature, not current (unless the current is so high that it actually heats the
thermal fuse to the temperature of the fuse rating).
That's why a good connection for a thermal fuse matters. Physically, it acts more mechanically than electrically, monitoring the heat of the circuit.