If you have an older home you may have a fuse panel. Most homes these days have circuit breaker panels. Both serve the same purpose; to protect the branch circuits from overloads and to trip in the event of a sustained short circuit. Some common fuse and circuit breaker sizes you'd find in your home are 15 amp, 20 amp, 30 amp, and 40 amp. Generally speaking a 15 or 20 amp circuit breaker protects your normal branch circuits containing lights and receptacles. Clothes dryers are normally protected by 30 amp breakers while ranges are protected by 40 amp breakers.
In older homes you will find a multitude of outlets all running off of one circuit which results in frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers. Some homeowners think that if they install a larger fuse or circuit breaker their problems will be solved. While this may prevent blown fuses it creates a dangerous overload on the branch circuit wiring. Cables and conductors are rated by how many amps they can safely carry continuously. A #14 cable is rated at 15 amps and a #12 cable is rated 20 amps. If you were put in a 30 amp fuse or circuit breaker you will exceed the safe limits of the cable.
A dangerous situation may occur if a cable carries more current than it's rated for. Large cables, with less resistance, can carry more current than smaller cables, which have more resistance. It's like a garden hose, the larger the diameter the more water it can carry. The smaller the diameter the less water it can carry. When a circuit is overloaded the conductors will start to produce heat which in turn can melt the insulation covering and cause an electrical fire. Rather than installing larger fuses and circuit breakers, do it the right way by breaking up reducing the number of outlets on overloaded circuits.
These days houses are wired much differently with circuit breaker panels housing 32 to 40 branch circuits. The big advantage of circuit breakers is that they can be reset where fuses have only one life. To reset a circuit breaker first turn it all the way off and then you can switch it back to the on position. When a fuse blows you have to replace it. It's a good idea if your home has a fusebox to keep 1 or 2 spares of each size fuse right beside the fuse panel so that you can find them easily when needed. It is highly recommended that you replace your old fuse panel with a circuit breaker panel. A qualified electrician and an electrical permit will be required for this.
If you happen to sell your house, one of the main concerns a prospective buyer, or home inspector, has is the electrical wiring and breaker panel. Old overloaded fuse panels will definitely be a major issue. Replacing your fuse panel and updating any unsafe wiring will go a long way when and if you decide to put your home on the market.
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Fuses And Circuit Breakers
This is the reason that the fire department and the office of civil engineering from the federal or the municipal government requires people to install smoke detectors, water sprinklers and circuit breakers in the home or in the establishment.
Circuit breakers are designed to block the flow of current if this is too much for the fuse box to handle. Should this fail, all the person has to do is reset the switch that is better than the old practice of throwing the old fuse and replacing this with a new one.
People will be surprised to know that these come in many sizes. The large ones are located in the fuse box while smaller ones can be found inside the electrical appliance. These two work hand in hand as power is transmitted from the source for these machines to work.
These machines also serve as a safety tool should something be done in the house. This will prevent the workers from being electrocuted or avoiding sparks that could become a fire.
There are many brands of circuit breakers in the market. The person should pay attention to a few details in order to find out the right one for the home.
1. Circuit breakers come in different models ranging from 20 to 200 amperes. The plans of the home should be examined by the electrician to know the suitable model for the fuse box.
2. There are some models in the market that require constant maintenance. Homeowners who get these will have to contact a specialist frequently to check on it. Some money can be saved by asking the sales clerk for something simple and basic so the individual can do the inspections instead.
3. There should be a warranty on the item before buying this from the store. This will allow the customer to return it if there are any problems such as this being not the type recommended by the electrician.
4. Some people think it is too expensive to buy new ones especially when there are stores that sell these at discounted prices. Should this happen, the person should check if these are original and are directly from the factory, if these are new or old and it has been used in the past.
One should pay attention to the item to make sure there are no cracks or fractures that is dangerous for use in the home. These should be tested before purchasing that saves the trouble of going back and having this exchanged.
5. Asking the sales clerk a few questions about the circuit breaker will not hurt. This will reassure the customer this is up to the standards set by the fire department and the engineers office so a safety permit can be secured.
Taking the necessary precautions for the home or the establishment before this is fully operational will save the owner from paying penalties or fines in court and to any victims should an accident occur.
The homeowner will probably have to buy more than one circuit breaker for the house. Each of these should be wired in properly and labeled so that the individual will know that to shut off or reset when a power surge occurs.
The circuit breaker is probably one of the best devices invented in the field of electronics. These last longer than previous machines of the past especially because these are not that hard to maintain.
The person can buy these in the hardware store or order this online. Some of these retailers can offer this cheap if purchased in bulk but most customers prefer to go into the shops to be able to check this out and return this should it fail to pass the requirements for the home.
The place where the family lives should always be safe. By knowing what to ask and what to look for when examining each product, it will be very easy to buy and have this installed by a well trained electrician.
Both Travel Guy & Jandice Porter are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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