Fuse box upgrades
Every home with electricity has a fuse box. The purpose of a fuse box is to control the flow of electricity into you home and is responsible for the electricity supplied to every room in your home.
Fuse boxes are usually found in utility rooms, porches or under-the-stairs cupboards. You may also have one in your hallway or garage. The level the fuse box is located is also dependent on the likelihood of flooding in the home as houses prone to flooding should usually have their fuse box higher up to reduce the risk of flood damage. The fuse box usually something the majority of people only check when there's a problem, so caution is always encouraged around them! It's also tricky to know when you may need to think about a fuse box upgrade as they are generally left well alone by homeowners.
A fuse box is made up of three key components:
- The Main Switch which is responsible for providing electricity to your entire home. If you turn it off, your house will no longer have power. It typically looks like an actual switch and is often red. The main switch will stop power flowing though into your home this doesn’t stop power running to the switch itself.
- Residual Current Devices which are separate switches within the box itself. They are responsible for turning off the electricity when presented with dangerous situations. If a circuit is tripped, the power will automatically shut off.
- Circuit Breakers and Fuses are another protection method within the fuse box. If a fault is detected, they will switch off the power. When a circuit “trips” the switch can manually be reset. A fuse may be used instead of a breaker, depending on the specific system. A faulty circuit will cause a fuse wire to melt, breaking the circuit connection as a safety precaution.
Electricity can be extremely dangerous and if you're not sure but think you may need a fuse box upgrade or inspection its best to call in a qualified electrician rather than trying to investigate yourself. You can safely visually inspect your fuse box to see if there are any visible faults or if any section looks worn an electrician should definitely be called in.
Warning signs include -
- Any signs of burning should be addressed immediately as this is a huge safety hazard. If there's a malfunction within the fuse box or a circuit breaker is causing burning an electrician will need to asses and replace the parts urgently. If extensive damage is found you may even require a rewire. Left alone these issues can lead to electrical fires which could damage or possibly destroy your home.
- Funny noise coming from your fuse box? If you can hear any buzzing or humming coming from your fuse box this can indicate a loose of damaged wire or a faulty breaker. Any noise or spark should be investigated immediately.
- Frequent blowing of fuses indicates that there's probably an underlying issue causing this to happen. Odd occasions are not so much a problem and aren’t uncommon however when this becomes a regular occurrence and its always the same fuse its best to ask an electrician to investigate.
In the event of any warning signs, it's really important to call an electrician to investigate as soon as possible. Caught early this could mean repair of some of the components of your fuse box rather than a full replacement. Your electrician may advise a fuse box upgrade if the fault has caused further damage which cannot be repaired and a replacement fuse box is the safest option.
