Hello,
I had purchased an electric foot massager about a year ago and, after using it too regularly, I appear to have blown the fuse and capacitor shown in the pictures attached 
. I’m not too familiar with electronic components so this may be a dumb question, but theoretically could I order the same two components and solder them on to the old board to get it running again? Also, should I consider buying a fuse with a higher amperage or voltage rating to help prevent any overloading in the future?
507-1720-1-ND (RST 3.15-AMMO) is the part number for the fuse.
Which capacitor are you needing?
Hi gvandyke,
First of all, no you should not replace the fuse with another with a higher current rating. The fuse is there for safety purposes, specifically to prevent down-stream components from drawing excessive current and potentially start a fire. If the fuse has opened, this means that too much current was being drawn, which could indicate the failure of one or more other components on your board.
As Rhonda asked, which capacitor do you think needs replacement? What is its letter designation on the board? For instance, the fuse is designated as “F1” on that board. We would need to see the markings to have a better idea about it. A close-up image of it, with markings visible, would help.
Finally, as I mentioned above, a blown fuse is indicative of other problems on the board. If you replace the fuse and cap, it may still blow the fuse if other parts have also been damaged. Therefore, I would check over the whole board carefully first. Unfortunately, some parts can fail with no visible signs, so visual inspection may not be sufficient. Having a multimeter with continuity mode can help trouble shoot problems.
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My guess is that what is called a capacitor in the opening post is RT1 in the photos, almost certainly a PTC resettable fuse, or soft start, thermistor.
If the product is more than 2x older than the warranty then it quite likely lasted as long as it was designed to last. If that’s the case, then for laymen consumers, the best solution is buy from a manufacturer that gives a longer warranty.
With safety device failures in a device that directly contacts human beings it is best not to do hobbyist level DIY repairs.
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