What is a Thermal Fuse?
A thermal fuse or thermal cutoff is a safety device which open circuits against overheat. It detects the heat caused by the over-current due to short circuit or component breakdown. Thermal fuses do not reset themselves when the temperature drops like a circuit breaker would. A thermal fuse must be replaced when it fails or is triggered.
Unlike electrical fuses or circuit breakers, thermal fuses only react to excessive temperature, not excessive current, unless the excessive current is sufficient to cause the thermal fuse itself to heat up to the trigger temperature.
What’s the purpose of a thermal fuse?
The purpose of a Thermal fuse is typically to be a cutoff for heat producing devices. As the name implies, thermal fuses are usually found in heat-producing electrical appliances such as coffee makers and hair dryers. They function as safety devices to disconnect the current to the heating element in case of a malfunction (such as a defective thermostat) that would otherwise allow the temperature to rise to dangerous levels, possibly starting a fire.
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