Ray L. Volts wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

The part is a mystery though. My guess is that it is a thermal fuse or
Transorb (not sure whether these work with AC at all). Markings on it
are 7C241 49P (with the symbol 'SA' in a circle). I have tried all the
obvious combinations (googled endlessly), but no luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varistor

and much more than u wanted to know from one manu:
http://www.epcos.com/inf/70/db/var_01/00190041.pdf

The 'sa in a circle' is actually the safety designation "CSA" (Canadian
Standards Association), a certification listing like UL.

Hard to see the left logo leg, but the '7' looks like a triangle to me. It,
along with the other funky E character would be the manufacturer logo and/or
plant markings. I can't be certain about your MOV's rating, but the '241'
suggests it's a 240-volt. The '49p' may be the date code or the transient
energy joule rating (49).

Great, thanks to you both for the help :-)

But of the two which should I use - a Transorb or a Varistor (it looks
to me like they are more-or-less interchangeable)?

Assuming that I can't find the actual direct replacement, can you
suggest a value for the alternative Transorb or Varistor (the fuse is
rated to 4 Amps and was quick blow by the way).

Thanks again.