CHARLOTTE – Houses built before 1970 may still be using a Fuse Box instead of the modern Electrical Breaker Panel. While fuse boxes and electric breakers essentially do the same job, they do it differently. An electrical breaker will “trip” or turn itself off when it senses a problem in the current and can be reused over and over. A fuse will melt as current issues arise so it “blows” or becomes unusable and will need to be replaced.

The biggest problem is that fuse boxes were designed to handle antiquated power needs. Modern families have more sophisticated appliances and electronics that require a much higher load output. Fuses come in different sizes. Commonly, a box may have been equipped with 15amp fuses, and over the decades as energy needs to be increased some fuses have been replaced with 30amp fuses. This is very dangerous and supplies the wiring in the home with a higher current than it’s rated for causing it to heat up and possibly start a fire. You may even see a penny in place of the safety of a fuse allowing an uncontrolled amount of current and is extremely hazardous.

Have an electrician check your fuse box and entire electrical system. An electrician can verify your wiring and fuse size ensuring it’s a safe match. You may have higher energy needs than your box can handle requiring an upgrade to an Electrical Breaker Panel.

As always GB Electrical Services can answer your questions about fuses or any other electrical issues. Call us at (980) 500-2378 or visit our website GetTheBestElectric.com.