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-   -   Car Audio: Why do we use cylindrical Fuses? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-entertainment/144053-car-audio-why-do-we-use-cylindrical-fuses.html)

I discovered today that apparently the fuse for my amp wiring had fallen off, and had a regular blade type fuse holder and fuse installed.

It works decently enough. I'm using a 120 or so W RMS amp in bridged mode for my sub. It cost me 50 Rs or so.

I'm guesssing there are some advantages for this car audio fuse most of us use. Couldn't find out from google. Yes it does look rather jugaadu, and maybe there is some resistance drop at the contacts. but I'm looking for the technical merits.

Actually there are no merits as such. Its like why USA uses the flat pin, and Europe uses the round pin etc.,
American standard till 80s was the cylindrical fuse.
However, the glass tube fuse is not as durable as your blade type fuse. As a result most automotive applications now use blade type fuses. However, in many devices, for example, car lighter powered devices, there is a cylindrical space available, so the cylinder type fuse can be easily incorporated without increasing manufacturing cost. In a device which costs 10 cents to make, even a 1cent saving is big.
However, if you see the automotive world, now its blade type everywhere, but devices which carry on from old designs keep using the cylindrical fuses.

But there is one place where the cylindrical fuse is winner. In a blade type fuse, if voltage is high, there is good chance of "arc" formation across the sharp ends if fuse breaks due to high current. However, cylindrical fuses can handle much higher voltage circuit, and there is little change of arcing.

True. Cylindrical fuses go upto 440V without arcing. Beyond that, or even in high-current applications if 440V 3Ph AC, one prefers sand-filled self quenching fuses (square ceramic body).

The real advantages of blade over cylindrical are actually a bit different:
1. Blade fuses are more amenable for automated manufacturing (they are stamped out of a sheet of zinc alloy), resulting in higher production - and hence lower cost. With cylindrical glass body fuses, the productivity is half or less that of the blade fuses
2. Fuse mounting and removal is relatively easier with blade fuses
3. Color coding (for rating) the blade fuses is easier

then why do all audio installs/amp wiring kits end up with these expensive fuse holders? can I stick with this instead of buying a replacement cylindrical fuse holder?

The issue is of insulating the fuse and it's connections. If you figure out a way to insulate the blade fuse holder and connections, of course you can use it.

Is your blade type fuse holder waterproof?

I guess water could enter, but then so was the assembly of the cylindrical one

By splashing? Not by dipping. If by dipping, forget about many things - not just the fuse!

the one that got installed looked like this


not really sure about the water resistance
before, i was using something like

source

the TASC wired my horn with a similar blade type fuse holder, and I'd been using it for over 5 years now without any issues, so thought it might be an audio related thing (the amp wiring is 8AWG. the horn wiring, and even the wires leading up to this fuse holder have thinner wires)

You answered your own question. For high amp applications blade fuses are most often used. Look at the power fuse of your car audio amplifier.

Cylindrical fuses are industry standard in electronics. There are two lengths 3/4" and 1-1/4", also called 19mm and 32mm.

The cylindrical one I had seems to be lost, but the ones i see on amazon seem to be rated 100-250A. The blade fuse I'm running is 30A. Most of the auto blade fuses I've seen are in the 5A-50A range.