Power cable fuse rating?

    It would be great if someone form the Kemper team could chip in here and reveal which fuse we'd need in the UK, I'm still using an adaptor as I got shipped a German power cable from Thomaan. Failing that... Could one gallant English man pop their plug and let us know what fuse lies within... That'd be champion!

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

    Quote from Brattcave

    It would be great if someone form the Kemper team could chip in here and reveal which fuse we'd need in the UK, I'm still using an adaptor as I got shipped a German power cable from Thomaan. Failing that... Could one gallant English man pop their plug and let us know what fuse lies within... That'd be champion!


    Brett, I've emailed DV247, who I bought my KPA from, asking them to tell me the correct fuse rating to use.


    Even though they sent me the unit from their (parent company's) warehouse in Germany, I believe I am correct in thinking that it's their responsibility, as a UK company, to ensure I have the correct plug/fuse to operate my KPA safely.


    I'll also email Tech Support here to see what they advise.

    Guys...put a 2amp fuse in and be done with it. The fuse is for safety in the case of short circuit. If a short occurs, the amp draw will be very high and any fuse smaller than the circuit breaker rating of the wall jack outlet will blow. Its not there to protect the KPA, its there to protect you. We don't even have fused chords in the USA version. That's what the circuit breaker is there for.


    bd

    Thanks Musicman, I think you are correct in this.


    I've just spoken on the phone to a guy from DV247 and he said I should be using a 5 amp or 3 amp fuse as the KPA draws around 1/8th amp. Basically, the 13 amp fuse supplied should be rated low enough to blow in the event of a short circuit, but normal operation of the KPA shouldn't draw enough current to blow a 3 or 5 amp fuse.


    I'm going to use a 3 amp fuse until I hear any different. Better to be safe than sorry.


    The consensus of articles I've read up on this matter suggest that using a fuse that's rated too high for particular appliance/cable can allow enough current through to overheat the cable and maybe even cause a fire - even if there is no fault anywhere else, either in the mains current 'spiking', or in the appliance itself (such as a short circuit). Maybe it's the 'curious' way our properties are wired in the UK, but getting the correct fuse installed in a plug is a very serious and potentially life-threatening matter.


    I will accept that this mostly applies to appliances that have (permanently) fitted power cords, where the gauge of power cable will have been matched to the current draw of the appliance. In this scenario, it would be quite easy to overheat a power cord designed to carry, say 3amps, by fitting a 13amp fuse to the plug. With the so-called 'kettle' lead supplied with my Kemper, the cable itself is actually of a thick enough gauge to carry the current commensurate with a plug fitted with a 13amp fuse.


    I still believe though, that either Kemper, or the vendor (i.e. the company you made the purchase contract with) should stipulate the correct electrical use of the product for the region it has been purchased from, or for use in.

    lol Excellent :thumbup:
    Funny this, I had the same problem with my Adam A7X monitors and a lot of the people I asked were quite dismissive about my concerns. Want to know who did take it seriously...
    The folk at Adam. They make these fuse ratings specific for a reason. I happened to get through to some engineers there - they found it really amusing/alarming the attitude of some retail outlets. I'll take their word that it IS something you sort of really want to get right 8)


    The Kemper support team were really good as well - they actually sent me out a new cable. But... and I think I'm cursed here, opened it up to see it was an American plug. :pinch: I let them know and they are a class lot so I'm sure it'll get sorted.

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

    The non-amplified KPA is a low wattage device and, unlike a mcrowave or toaster oven, can not draw enough current to heat up a power cord unless there is an internal short. A short will draw a huge instantaneous current which will blow any fuse under 20 amps. You will gain no additional protection by sizing the fuse closely to the actual draw. Without a fuse the power chord could ignite if a circuit breaker upstream didn't trip. In the US, 15 (or 20 on heavy duty outlets) amp circuit breakers are required by law so we don't need a fuse at the device chord.


    Monitors are power devices with higher current draw. They are designed to deliver peak outputs well above their RMS rated output to allow for good transient response. In the event of runaway feedback or some other overdrive situation, the inline fuse can save them from damage....so absolutely you should use the recommended fuse size and type. The type determines how fast the fuse blows.


    I am an electrical engineer so I have a lot of experience with this subject. Of course, my disclaimer is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations! I'm glad to hear Kemper has responded.


    bd