Circuit Breaker Old Fuse Box

Determine if you have a fuse box or a circuit breaker box.

Circuit breaker old fuse box.

Older homes tend to have fuse boxes. Fuses aren t inherently unsafe. Commonly these service panels are located in utility rooms garages or basements. When a circuit draws too much electricity the fuse burns out and must be replaced.

Changing a fuse box to a circuit breaker is a challenging task for the average do it yourself person. If your old 100 amp breaker box goes kaput chambers recommends a 100 amp replacement because for instance your stove is gas fired your water heater is gas your heating is gas and you really only need electricity for air conditioning and lights and 120 volt outlets so a 100 amp breaker panel is plenty for a house like that he says. Step 1 open the fuse box. Fuse boxes are old electrical panels that use fuses instead of circuit breakers to protect your wires from becoming overloaded.

Wear rubber soled shoes and ensure the floor beneath the circuit breaker box is dry to minimize the risk of injury. Fuses are round and screw into sockets in the fuse box much like a light bulb. In other words there is no way to shut off the electricity coming into the fuse box unless you ask the utility company to pull the meter. These are good indications that you have a split bus panel.

Once you ve found your box open the door. The electrical service panel commonly known these days as a breaker box has come a long way since the early 1900s almost every home has some type of service panel whether it be a fuse panel or a circuit breaker panel. To start remove the circuit breaker box cover by unscrewing the corners with a screwdriver.