Why does nobody talk about using automotive fuses to fix shorted fairy lights?

I was at a Christmas light exhibit last week and overheard two repair guys arguing about whether to solder or crimp connections. One swore by those tiny 2-amp glass fuses from old vehicles, the other said it's a fire hazard waiting to happen. Anyone have experience with this or know which side is right?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretk8924d ago

My uncle tried the 2-amp fuse hack on a set of 50 fairy lights last Christmas and the whole string went dark in about 20 minutes. The fuse blew so fast it tripped the breaker in his garage, which is way more drama than any soldered joint would cause. Those tiny glass fuses are meant for steady 12v circuits in cars, not the fluctuating voltage from a wall outlet that fairy lights use. Plus good luck finding a replacement that actually matches when you're knee-deep in tinsel at 11pm on Christmas Eve. Honestly the fire hazard crowd has a point here because the fuse either blows constantly or lets too much current through if you grab the wrong amperage.

blairwhite20d ago

lol fuse tripped the whole breaker? That's actually kind of wild. Those little glass fuses are usually way too small to trip a 15-amp house breaker unless the wiring in the string was already jacked up and shorted to metal.