Why fuses

And it might not be long before no one has a reason to be speaking about fuses at all. The number of actual blown fuses in this country is becoming fewer and fewer as people continue to have their old fuse boxes replaced by new electrical panels amp service, and circuit breakers. Just be sure to hire an experienced and knowledgeable licensed electrician. If you have questions or are interested in our rates, just let us know.

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Join the Happy Hiller Club and get all the perks of membership: Seasonal tune-ups. Priority scheduling. First, A Word About Fuses Most people nowadays have had the old-fashioned fuse panels also known as fuse boxes in their homes replaced by modern electrical panels with circuit breakers—if the fuse boxes were even still there when they purchased their houses.

Cause 2: A Short Circuit A short circuit is a type of electrical fault. Cause 3: A Ground Fault A ground fault is a specific type of short circuit in which the unintentional pathway of the straying electrical current flows directly to the earth ground or touches a grounded part of the system such as a grounding wire or the electric box.

Cause 4: An Arc Fault Arc faults result from problems with wiring and terminal connections—for example, a loose terminal screw. The Fix: Before resetting the breaker, check for any indications of damage.

If you or someone else installed the wrong fuse in a fuse panel and there has been no personal harm or property damage … You are very lucky. Cause 7: Damaged or Outdated Electrical Outlets Any faulty wiring or connected parts risk a power fault surge , which trips a circuit or blows a fuse. Cause 8: Damaged Wiring We can say essentially the same thing here, with the very important caveat that damaged wiring can go unnoticed far longer and much more easily than damaged outlets can since the wiring is mostly hidden inside the walls of your house.

Look and listen for flickering, buzzing, or dimming lights. Look out for frayed or chewed wiring. Search for discoloration, scorching, and smoke. Feel for warm or vibrating wall outlets Smell for burning and odd odors. Should You Have an Electrical Inspection? Licensed Electrician A licensed electrician is the person you want for this job.

Share this post:. Popular Posts On Inc. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Warning Never replace a burned-out fuse with one of larger amperage rating. Featured Video. Read More. Your Privacy Rights.

To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSpruce. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. This keeps the excessive current from continuing down the circuit to more expensive equipment. However, they are not the only devices that you can use to protect your gear from overcurrent. There are many other ways, like circuit breakers or protective relays, and here are 10 reasons why you might just want to consider fusing instead.

Overcurrent protective devices that have tripped are often reset without first investigating the cause of the fault. Electromechanical devices may not have the reserve capacity to open safely when a second or third fault occurs. When a fuse opens it is replaced with a new fuse, so the protection level is not degraded by previous faults. Fuses typically are the most cost-effective means of providing overcurrent protection. This is especially true where high fault currents exist or where small components such as Control Transformers or DC power supplies need protection.

Devices with low interrupting ratings are often rendered obsolete by service upgrades or increases in available fault current. Updated NEC and UL standards are causing the need for potentially expensive system upgrades to non-fused systems. Fuses can be easily coordinated to provide selectivity under both overload and short-circuit conditions. Fuses do not require periodic recalibration as do some electromechanical overcurrent protective devices.

As a fuse ages, the speed of response will not slow down or change. Small circuit breakers protect individual household appliances, whereas larger ones can protect high voltage circuits supplying electricity to entire cities. Fuses and circuit breakers Fuses and circuit breakers protect electrical circuits and appliances.

Fuses The fuse breaks the circuit if a fault in an appliance causes too much current to flow. A 13A fuse contains a low melting point wire Fuses in plugs are made in standard ratings.