Years ago, fuse boxes were standard on many homes in Walpole, NH. However, thanks to advancements in technology, most new homes are built using a circuit breaker. However, not all homes have converted to the newer circuit breakers. If you’ve just moved into a home with a fuse box there are a number of reasons why you should have it upgraded to a circuit breaker. Below we describe some of the benefits of doing so.

How Fuse Boxes Work

Electricity flows into your home from the street and into your fuse box. The job of the fuse box is to route the power to where it’s needed. The second job of the fuse box is to protect your house from power spikes. As electricity passes through the copper wires of your home it produces heat. If the wires get too hot they could catch fire. Fuses protect against that by shutting down the flow of electricity when too much heat is present. As electricity flows from the street into your home it has to pass through a fuse which is comprised of a thin metal wire called a filament. If the electric current gets too hot the filament will melt and the connection will be broken. Once the fuse is melted it has to be replaced.

Safety

One of the great benefits to upgrading your fuse box to a circuit breaker is safety. Fuse boxes are obsolete technology. When the fuse is melted it has to be replaced with a new one. Also, when the old fuse is removed, both ends of the electrical connection are exposed leaving the homeowner vulnerable to electrocution.

Insurance and Code Compliance

In many cities, old fuse boxes aren’t in compliance with building codes. This could also mean that the wiring in your home might be out of compliance as well. To get your home back up to code you would need to upgrade to a new circuit breaker. But sometimes, the old wiring and the new circuit breaker don’t interact well. This can cause your circuit breaker to trip a lot which is annoying.

Additionally, some mortgage insurance brokers won’t cover your home if it has an older fuse box. This has to do with the fire danger. But many lenders require you to have mortgage insurance so upgrading the fuse box will be necessary.

Available Power

Finally, many old fuse boxes only had 2 to 4 available circuits for appliances. Obviously, new homes have a much greater electricity demand. New circuit breakers can have room for up to 24 circuits.

If you have an old fuse box in your Walpole, NH home that you would like to have replaced, contact HB Energy Solutions. We have years of experience working with all types of old fuse boxes and circuit breakers. Give us a call today!