Blown 12v fuses (1 Viewer)

[MattR]

Two 12v plugs blew simultaneously today in the multi adaptor that I have; one was the GPS power, the other, a 12v inverter for small devices but today, was just charging a mobile phone on the USB socket part. The inverter also started smoking. They blew with a loud bang.

The fuse for the multiunit didn't blow and not other issues were seen.

Any suggestions what would cause both to go?

 

[TheBig1]

cheap plug in type inverters only have a limited lifespan and its not uncommon for them to overheat then fail. leaving it plugged in when not in use also shortens the life and they continue to consume quite a current even with no load attached

think yourself lucky nothing sensitive was plugged in as inverters have been known to burn out attached devices when they melt down

 

[G8WVW]

Small inverters are generally poor quality as are 12V multi-adaptors. The fuse however should have blown in the cigarette lighter supply plug of the multi-adaptor unless of course you have a really rubbish one that does not have the fuse!

The 12V cigaretter lighter plug/socket arrangement is both electrically and mechanically a pile of crxp so failures often occur. You're maybe lucky the 'burn-up' didn't acrually result in combustion when you're away from the van. Inverters, even small ones are capable of high current loads and should be connected directly to the battery protected by a dedicted fuse.

Good luck.

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[MattR]

Thanks. The inverter had been powered up for approx 1 hr supplying USB power to a Nexus tablet.

I am a little confused as to why two power supply units blew at the same time; the GPS supply unit had been used for hours over many years and the inverter, although several years old, had hardly been used.

I'll check to see if the multi adaptor unit has a fuse - I suspect it does.