Fuses, Holders, Circuit Breakers

Like any other system that deals with electric current, your car audio/video needs protection from overloading that can destroy it or, in the worst case scenario, cause a fire. Fuses and circuit breakers are two different ways of protecting electronic equipment by interrupting the circuit. While fuses are used only once as the filament inside them melts, circuit breakers have a switch that interrupts current flow and makes them usable many times.

A circuit breaker contains an electromagnet (or solenoid) or a metallic plate triggered by excessive current, which breaks the connection when an unsafe limit is reached. Once tripped, the circuit breaker simply turns off and can be reset (either manually or automatically) with a flip of a switch to restore normal operation. Unlike fuses, most circuit breakers have a status indication, and typically take longer to interrupt the circuit.

Basically, fuses are designed to fail in order to protect your audio/video equipment from power surges and must be replaced if blown. Fuses are labeled with a number which stands for the maximum amount of amperes (amps) they allow to pass through the circuit. Be sure to get the fuse with the right amperage rating, otherwise you can end up with audio/video equipment failure. The fuse in enclosed in a fuse holder that keeps it securely in place, protects it, and provides a reliable connection point to the wiring. A bad connection can result in wire damage.