4 Common Reasons to Replace Your Fuse Box

Posted on: 9 December 2022

If your house has electricity, it should also have a fuse box. These wall-mounted units are home to your property's main power switch, switchboard, and circuit breakers, and they are essentially responsible for distributing power throughout your home. As you might expect, any issues with the fuse box can have serious consequences that impact everything from the safety of your property to the reliability of electrical fixtures.

As such, you should really understand these four common reasons why your fuse box should be replaced.

1. Signs of Faulty Wiring

Faulty wiring can be a serious issue, and it is commonly associated with older fuse boxes. In fact, electricians will need to rewire your home when a fuse box is replaced. If your wiring is no longer able to do its job properly, you may notice several signs. Common symptoms of faulty wiring include lights that flicker or dim, sparking outlets, or signs of burning around your outlets. In some cases, you may even get a slight shock when you touch an appliance.

2. New Appliances Keep Tripping Breakers

One common reason why fuse boxes need to be replaced is that many older ones simply weren't designed to accommodate the needs of modern homes. Most people now use far more electrical appliances and devices than they did a few decades ago, and those appliances and devices often consume more energy than older ones. As such, you may notice that your circuit breakers keep tripping, especially when you turn on newer appliances. This isn't just inconvenient — it also indicates that your current fuse box is no longer up to the task of distributing power around your home.        

3. Frequent Blown Fuses

Blown fuses are even more inconvenient than tripped breakers, and they're also associated with older fuse boxes. When a fuse blows, it needs to be replaced. This often happens when homes that require more power than they once did overload the system. This causes fuses to blow out, and your electronics won't work until they are replaced. If you use the wrong replacement fuse, you may even start a fire.

4. Older Fuse box

Finally, it might be worth replacing a fuse box simply because it has become old, even if it still seems to work properly. This is partly because you're probably going to be using more power than you used to, but it's also worth remembering that the simple wear and tear fuse boxes go through over the years can lead them to become unreliable. If your fuse box is more than ten years old, you should consider replacing it before any problems can develop.

If you need to replace your fuse box, reach out to a company like O'Brien Electrical Mt Gambier. 

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