I need help replacing a burnt out fuse in my home theater's sub woofer.?

Question

It's a Sony. The fuse says: 125V 2.5A. But you can't buy that particular type of fuse anywhere. You have to go to Sony and buy their overpriced one. I'd rather pay 50 cents at radioshack. But what type of fuse would be safe? I have a 250V 3.15A thats the proper size. Should I aim lower? I'd rather not set my subwoofer on fire. Do the Volts and Amps matter that much?

This is for a SA-WMSP85 Sony Subwoofer.

Answer 1

Go to RadioShack. Some stores may not stock them, however (such as stores in shopping malls).  But, you can order fuses from their website or try to find a RadioShack that is by itself or in a strip mall or a shopping plaza (the kind that may also have a grocery store on the same lot).

The CAT No. is 270-1053 for fast acting stubbies or CAT No. 270-1008 for the fast acting types that are longer in length.

2.5A may be a common rating; voltage doesn't really matter in this case, only amperes and type (slow blow or fast acting).

I'm willing to bet that the fuse that needs to be replaced is a fast acting fuse; this is confirmed if the fuse itself is used in the power supply and not inline with the speaker connection.

I would not use a 3.15A fuse because that's too high for what the circuit calls for; in the event of a problem in the circuit, the 3.15 may not open and cut the power when a 2.5A would. A fire may occur, but it is more likely that the damage to the affected component will be greater than it normally would be.

Otherwise, the 3.15 will allow the amp to work, provided that there is no preexisting problem that has caused the original fuse to blow to begin with.

If the new fuse blows instantly, then that's a sign that there is a problem in the circuit.  It can be something as minor as a bad bridge rectifier or a bad varistor to something more serious, any of which can only be determined by an experienced and reputable electronics repair professional.

And here's a little message to the whack-job who had to give me a thumbs-down.  If you know better, then why not offer your advice?

Answer 2

i totally concur with ASHRAM with one little sidenote on the fuse itself there should be a letter code on the fuze.. something like abc or gkg...etc that will tell the exact size and speed of the fuze tripping fast acting, slow blow or time delay... some times the fuzes markings may be obscured but it will; help with matching

Answer 3

I beleive it may have been mentioned, some good ideas for replacing the fuse.  the amps and the type of fuse are commonly stamped on one end in the metal part of the fuse.

be sure to by a fuse with the same amp. and type I E: AGC ABC.  watch this letters on it, they can tell if it is standard, time delay/slow blow, or a fast blow type.  this is just as critical as the proper amps.  if you are talking about a speaker cabinet/speaker, this will give the original leval of protection to your speaker.  also if there is a problem in the speaker, it can damage the amp, so use the correct type and amp rated fuse.  also, if you are like me, sometimes we like some loud music, a loud spike may have blown your fuse in the first place.  evan a small amp--do not run wide open, it will do some damage to the speakers.  

I hope this helps along with some other answers I have noted as very helpful, too.

Answer 4

Make a couple calls to your local electronics stores and see if they have any, or if they have any recommendations.