Jeff Wisnia wrote:
dpb wrote:
Jeff Wisnia wrote:

dpb wrote:


Must have had just enough filament left to let a light bulb burn but
not enough to power the dishwasher. Newer circuit arrangement would
separate kitchen (particularly any appliance even if no more than a
dishwasher) from a lights circuit.


And if you really believe that, dpb, come see me about a bridge I have
for sale at a bargain price.

By the way, fuses don't have filaments, they have links.

Sheesh, where do some people get their ideas from. G

...

Actually, Jeff, I got that "idea" from an actual incident where a fuse
did leave a tiny trace that made a connecting path through it and made
a symptom quite similar to that described by OP. Only seen it once in
some 60 years, and that was some 30 years ago, but it did occur.

Because what was left wasn't much more than a tracing, I used the word
"filament" to describe it. I doubt it would have lasted much longer
when I discovered it, but it did have enough of a path left to let a
single bulb in the pumphouse burn (albeit somewhat dimly) for at least
a short while when a drill I plugged into the outlet didn't have enough
power to more than hum (which is what was the cause for finding it).



I did ponder that before I "grinned" and jumped down your throat, but
since the OP didn't mention that the light which WAS on was burning
dimly, I couldn't make what you said play.

I don't doubt that you saw what you did back then. I'd make a WAG that
the fuse may have slowly evaporated off metal molecules from its link
which deposited as a conducting metal film across the insulating
portions inside the fuse until the link either opened and current flowed
through the deposits, or the link itself got so thin its resistance
increased to cause what you saw. But I'd expect that bulb in the
pumphouse was a pretty low wattage one, huh?

I think it's possible, but on average, it ain't the way to bet.

Yeah, it's funny how those odd-ball events come back as possible
scenarios. On the follow-up I got to really trying to recall the
incident and do remember being able to see the filament in the bulb
glowing as opposed to a full light output but wasn't thinking of that
when I responded to OP, just that the fuse appeared blown but still had
a voltage path w/ limited current capacity. I'm sure if it had been
night instead of day or that there weren't windows in there so I had
been tossed into the dark I'd have remembered more clearly! As for
what was there at the time, I have no idea. Normally I keep a 100W'er
in it as it is also the oilhouse and other storage as it's the only
heated outbuilding other than the farrowing house which isn't too
suitable for storing much other than pigs.

Would be interesting to know from OP whether if he went down and now
removed that single fuse whether both the dishwasher and light go out
or whether, as you noted (and I suspect you're probably right) he had a
second fuse that was loose that he either tightened checking or
inadvertently futzing around.