subject: Is It Time to Upgrade the Fuse Box in Your House? [print this page] Is It Time to Upgrade the Fuse Box in Your House?
Is it time to upgrade the fuse box in your house? If you have a fuse box, chances are your home could be 50 years or older. This means it has fuses that pull in and out or actually screw in rather than the circuit breakers of today that have switches. Even if the wiring in your older home is in good shape, it is probably a good idea to replace that old fuse box with a more modern electrical panel for safety reasons.
Keeping your Electrical Issues in Perspective
Electrical contractors in Atlanta and other metropolitan areas still run into fuse boxes in older neighborhoods that are undergoing gentrification or rehabilitation. If you are considering an older home purchase, you should automatically set aside a budget specifically for upgrading the electrical outlets, wiring, fixtures and fuse boxes.
If you are unsure whether to upgrade to circuit breakers for your electrical service panel, consider the electrical load in a typical home of the 1950s and 1960s versus today. Modern technology has produced a number of advances in appliances. Today, you will likely have gaming systems, DVD players, large screen televisions, microwaves, dishwashers, trash compactors, special indoor and outdoor lighting systems, and much more in addition to the basics such as central air and heat, refrigerators, washers and dryers.
Decades ago, all of those technological extras you have today did not exist. So the question, "is it time to upgrade the fuse box in your house" necessitates a positive answer. If you plug in and use all those appliances in your older home, eventually you will blow the fuses and there's always potential for an electrical fire which could be devastating.
Upgrading is Best
If you have a fuse box, you may also find that replacement fuses may be hard to come by, depending on the type needed. Licensed Atlanta electricians, as well as those across the state of Georgia and beyond, are your best bet to ensure the future of your older home. Get estimates from several contractors to determine how much it will cost to convert to a circuit breaker electrical panel. Once you have made the conversion, you just might realize a drop in your home insurance rates. The less risk you present, the cheaper your insurance rates.
You will discover that circuit breakers are much easier to operate and repair. With the fuse box, you typically would have to replace an entire fuse because the metal inside would melt from an electrical overload. However, if a circuit breaker tripped due to overload, you simply would turn off the breaker switch and then turn it back on to restore power. Upgrade the fuse box in your house to a modern, conventional electrical circuit panel for safety and convenience reasons.
