HomeGlossary › Interrupting rating (AIC)

What is interrupting rating (AIC)?

How much fault current a fuse can safely stop. Lithium can dump enormous current into a short, so the main fuse needs a high AIC — that is why Class T is specified at the battery.

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Why it matters

A fuse’s amp rating is not the whole story. Its interrupting rating (AIC) is how much fault current it can actually stop — and a lithium bank can deliver far more than a cheap fuse can break.

Where it fits in your system

It governs the choice of main fuse: lithium can dump enormous current into a short, so the battery fuse needs a high AIC — which is why a Class T is specified there.

How Wattonomy handles it

Design your van, boat, cabin or RV system in Wattonomy and it computes the fault current your bank can deliver and specifies a main fuse with enough interrupting rating to clear it — from the appliances you actually run, sized to the recognized standard for your region. You see it on the wiring diagram, in the sized parts list, and in a plain-English build pack that explains the reasoning behind every choice. No account, no email — about a minute to a complete, validated design.

Questions

What is the difference between amp rating and AIC?

The amp rating is the normal current the fuse passes; the AIC is the maximum fault current it can safely interrupt without failing. Both matter, especially on lithium.

Why does lithium need a high-AIC fuse?

Because a lithium bank can pour tens of thousands of amps into a dead short. The main fuse must be able to break that — hence Class T at the battery.

Design your system — free

It takes about a minute. No account, no email.