Fuse to Breaker Box Upgrade

Upgrading from Fuse to Breaker Box

Many of the older homes found in the city of Dubuque and surrounding areas of eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, may have fuse panels instead of circuit breaker panels. If your home uses glass fuses instead of circuit breakers, this could mean that the home also contains an obsolete wiring system that could pose an increased threat of fire or electrical shock. If you suspect this is the case, then the electricians at Budget Electric can perform a complete home wiring inspection to determine if your system is outdated or dangerous. We can also upgrade the fuse panels with a breaker box to increase the safety and overall efficiency of your home.

There are several reasons to upgrade from fuses to circuit breakers:

Convenience

Fuses never blow at a good time and not having a replacement on hand when you need it can be quite an inconvenience, especially at night. When a circuit becomes overloaded on a circuit panel, the control switch is flipped to cut the power and limit the risk of fire. Resetting the circuit is as easy as flipping the switch. Overloaded glass fuses require a complete replacement. Most older fuse panels were designed to handle a maximum of 60 amps while circuit breaker panels are designed for 100 amps or more. More available power means more convenience.

Safety

Modern families use much more electricity than they did even 30 or 40 years ago and homes that were wired in the pre-1970s were not designed to handle the load we expect from them today. This includes fuses. Overloading fuses can increase heat which increases the risk of fire. Some homeowners, in an effort to keep fuses from blowing as frequently, may use higher voltage fuses in breakers that were not designed to handle them. For example, if the fuse box was made to handle 15-amp fuses but 20- or 30-amp fuses are being used, this creates a fire hazard. Replacing fuse boxes with circuit breakers will not only make your home more efficient, it will also reduce the risk of fire and eliminate the need for fuse replacements.

Also the problems with fuses are what size to put in after it blows? Over the years wrong sizes of fuses are installed after one blows. The problem is that the original fuse amperage has long ago been forgotten. Is it 20 amp wire we are trying to protect? 15 amp wire? 30 amp wire? The fuse must protect the correct size wire on the fuse holder or if it is sized incorrectly causes a fire hazard when sized incorrectly. A correctly size breaker never has to be replaced and you do not need to know what size wire is actually connected to it

Insurance and Investment

Upgrading to a circuit breaker box may make it easier to obtain a home insurance policy, in fact, the insurance company may require it. In fact we are constantly getting calls from individuals whose insurance company will cancel their policy if they do not upgrade to a breaker box. Investing in an upgraded electrical panel will also increase the overall value of your home. While a 100-amp panel may be fine for now, you may want to consider a larger capacity panel and stay one step ahead of your current energy needs. Upgrading from a fuse box to a breaker box is a good financial investment in your home as well as an investment in the safety of your family.

Homes resale value

A properly sized and installed breaker box and electrical service greatly adds to your homes resale value. Most buyers want a breaker box. They perceive a fuse box as trouble waiting to happen and it fact they would be right.

A licensed, professional electrician like Budget Electric will be able to provide an inspection and assessment of the current condition of your home’s wiring and provide a recommendation for upgrades and improvements. As master electricians, we have serviced the area around Dubuque, IA including Galena, IL for over three decades. Call 563-590-5679. No job is too big or too small. We accept credit cards, personal checks and cash. Call today!