If you’re living in an older home and have a circuit breaker, you won’t need to replace a fuse. Nonetheless, if you’re looking to replace a fuse in your home, you might be worried about how you should be doing that. Thankfully, identifying and fixing your fuse doesn’t need to be a complex process.
Is The Fuse Blown?
Generally, you know when a fuse is blown when a section of your house is no longer receiving electricity. Another common example is when you turn on a device in one section of the house, but loses power when you use another electrical source in the same area. If you have an electric shower and it stops working properly (generally with the heating), you probably need to replace your fuse as well. Go to your electric panel and open it, hopefully every fuse is labelled according to a section of the house, this will make the job a lot easier.
Blown fuses also tend to be cloudy, or the wire on the inside is broken and does not appear like the working fuses around it. If you don’t know what area of the house is tied to which fuse, you can pull out a fuse and see which area of the house loses power. If you’re having trouble finding your electrical panel inside the home, look around the outside of the house to see if it’s located there.
Identify The Right Fuse
When a fuse stops working, it’s because it’s preventing too much power from running through and breaks the connection (in layman’s terms). One thing you’ll need to do is make sure you’re using the correct fuse, you don’t want to replace a fuse with a higher amperage because this can be dangerous. For instance, when you need a fuse replacement for your electric shower, make sure you’re getting the correct fuse intended for electric showers and not for other appliances. The professionals of Best Electric Shower have a guide that helps you find the right fuse for your shower, so you can replace your fuse properly. This will prevent you from using a fuse that’s rated too low, and ends up becoming overloaded.
You can look at the current fuse being used in this area of the house to make sure your replacement is satisfactory. If you’re continually experiencing power problems, you probably don’t have the right fuse selected. In these cases, it’s probably best to call a professional electrician to assist you.
Disconnect Everything Locally
Before you replace the fuse, make sure you turn off all of the light switches and power in that area of the house. You’ll also want to unplug any appliances that are in that area of the house as well. This can help with avoiding blowing the replacement fuse by demanding too much power at once.
Turn Off The Power
Make sure you’re turning off the main power prior to replacing the fuse, it can be dangerous to replace a fuse while the power is on. It’s best practice to have personal protective wear like rubber gloves, or rubber soled shoes/boots when working inside the electrical panel. Remember, if you’re feeling at all concerned with your electrical knowledge and ability it’s always a good idea to call an electrician to come in. The money you’ll spend on a contractor is worth having peace of mind. If it’s your first time replacing a fuse they’ll likely show you how to do it properly yourself as well.
When the main power is off, you’re able to replace your fuse and unscrew the old fuse. Make sure the new fuse meets the exact specifications that the old one had. If it’s at a higher amperage, this can be dangerous, so make sure you’re confident in your decision.
Turn On The Power
Turn on the main power supply again, and the fuse is replaced! If the fuse blows again, you can run through the same process in order to replace it. If everything is working again that means you’ve replaced the fuse properly. If the fuse keeps breaking, you may have a new appliance that demands too much electricity. If you’re not sure why your fuse keeps blowing, call an electrician.
Always exercise caution when you’re working with electricity, it can be dangerous, and it’s better to call an electrician if you’re ever worried. You may want to store a flashlight next to the electric panel in case the power ever goes out near it. Alternatively, you can use the light on your phone, but if it’s dead this isn’t reliable. With a little know-how you can easily identify and fix a faulty fuse yourself!