Fuse boxes are functional home items that people usually take for granted. Homeowners only worry about their fuse boxes when a power outage occurs or a circuit breaker gets tripped. Because fuse boxes don’t get much attention, they often don’t receive updates or replacements when they should. Chances are high that the fuse box in your home is outdated and needs an upgrade. In this post we’ll address why you should consider improving your home’s fuse box.

For excellent Southern Vermont electrical technicians, call HB Energy Solutions. 

Fuse box upgrades and replacements

If you are having frequent blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers, you probably need to have an upgrade on your fuse box’s circuits and wiring. The first step to take is to have an electrician inspect your current fuse box to see if there are any repair issues that will fix the problem. The electrician will have advice about possible improvements, or if you should schedule a full replacement.

(One option you might look into if you have continual trouble with power surges blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers is to install a whole-house surge protector, which does a more efficient job protecting your system from abrupt voltage increases than standard power strips.)

The most common fuse box upgrade is to change over from older fuses to circuit breakers. Although both have advantages and disadvantages, circuit breakers are much more convenient. For older fuse boxes, an electrician can add extra circuits that allow you to have grounded circuits for advanced technology like computers, plasma TVs, etc. Older fuse boxes were not built to handle these extra loads.

For very old fuse boxes, you may need to have all branch circuitry wiring replaced. In most cases, having extensive work like this done, or replacing the whole system, is important for your safety, since a faulty fuse box can turn into a fire hazard. Upgrades will also be necessary if your box no longer meets local codes. Your electrician should be familiar with these codes and know what repairs to make, or if a replacement is the better way to go.

So if you’re asking the question, “Should I upgrade my fuse box?” chances are strong that you do. You should at least call for an inspection to make sure you do not have a potential fire hazard.

For Southern Vermont electrical repair and installation, look to HB Energy Solutions. We offer full service. One call does it all—24 hours a day. We will figure out what your fuse box needs and deliver it.

Monday, January 13th, 2014 at 1:05 pm | Categories: Electrical |