Should I replace My Fuse Box

Many people love old world homes because they offer classic features not found on newly built houses. When you consider all the beautifully handcrafted woodwork inside the beautiful homes, it is no wonder that many people love them so much. However, when you do buy an older classic home, you are more than likely also buying outdated and potentially dangerous electrical wiring. Building and electrical codes were much different back then than they are today. Because of that, you will probably have to make some changes to your home’s electrical system to bring it up to current electrical code requirements.

It’s probably reasonable to assume that a modern family today has at least two televisions, one or more computers, a washer and dryer set, a dishwasher, refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, water heater and many other smaller electrical items as well. The problem is that the older houses were usually only built to handle about 60 amps at the service panel and all those items can pull 100 amps or more. That means you might constantly be blowing fuses in the Fuse Box unless you upgrade to a modern circuit panel. To do this, you will need to be sure that the line coming into your home can support the maximum amperage that your new circuit panel will accommodate. If that is 100 amps, then it all must able to handle 100 amps or be upgraded to accept 100 amps.

Based on the electrical usage of a modern family, when you update your electrical service, you should install a panel and wiring that can handle at least 100 amps and more if your family uses more electricity than most. Once you get the new panel installed with modern style breakers and safety switches, your home will still have that old black rubber coated wiring, more than likely. The outer covering on that type of wire degrades with time, often flaking away and leaving bare sections of exposed and dangerous wire. This can obviously be a safety hazard and really should be replaced at the same time that you upgrade your electrical panel if possible. You could do it later in stages, but it will cost you more to go into the electrical system multiple times. That old wiring is a fire waiting to happen and should be replaced sooner than later if possible.

Another good reason to replace your old electrical panel Fuse Box with a new one that uses breakers and has a much greater capacity is that it allows you to divide up the load better. The old ones only had 6 or 8 fuses and so if your home had many rooms you were forced to put excessive loads on just a few fuses and a few circuits. A modern board with breakers has a lot more panel space and might easily have four times more breakers than the old box had fuses. This way you can distribute the loads across more circuits and more breakers, which increases safety and prevents tripped breakers. For those who love the old style of homes, this electrical update will have to come eventually and is worth it because it protects your investment by reducing the risks of possible electrical fires.

This kind of Fuse Box work is not a do it yourself project. Be sure to find a reputable professional electrician in your area who has experience doing total rewiring to help you get your home rewiring care of.