Fuse Boxed Explained! Everything You Need to Know

Have you wondered why you should have a fuse box in your home? Electricity enters the house through a small box placed on the wall by the utility provider, and this box is called the fuse box. The fuse box is commonly referred to as the junction box, breaker panel, or service panel. It is the central switchboard in any electrical system to supply power to outlets, home appliances, light fixtures and various electrical devices. In case of any repair or maintenance needs in fuse boxes, it is essential to reach out to the best electricians to get professional electrical work in Chennai.

Let us discuss the significance and types of fuse boxes in the article below.

All You Need to Know About Residential Electrical Fuse Boxes

Homes constructed a long time ago will only have a fuse box - no breaker panel or circuit breaker. Many homeowners mistakenly think that a fuse box and a breaker panel are the same. This awareness is necessary to the working of a fuse box and in deciding whether it is adequate to serve your needs. Skilled electricians who provide high-quality electrical work in Chennai will be able to show you the distinct difference between them. The fuse box and breaker panel are both designed to supply electricity to residential structures, but a fuse box has fuses, whereas a breaker panel has circuit breakers.

Fuse Box

Fuse boxes have disposable fuses, which safeguard the entire circuit from shorting out or overloading. In order to shut off the power to a specific circuit, it is essential to remove the fuse. Fuses blow when a circuit gets overloaded. They prevent fire accidents by cutting power to the circuit. Power can be restored to the circuit only after replacing the fuse. In recent times, any professionals providing electrical work in Chennai use only a single fuse box for an entire building. They are mostly located in places like the basement, laundry room or garage. However, in a few of the old houses, there are subpanels to serve various sections and floors of the house.

Breaker Panel

Breaker panels are more versatile and robust compared to the fuse box. A circuit is shutdown by flipping a switch in the breaker panel instead of removing and reinstalling the fuse. When there is an overload or short happening, the breaker panel detects it automatically and trips the circuit off. Thus, a breaker panel is of equal importance and is recommended by electricians for any residential electrical work in Chennai.

Types of Fuse Boxes Used For Electrical Work in Chennai

Are you wondering what lies behind the doors of the electric service panel? It contains three things, namely:

1. Main switch – The main switch allows a person to turn off the power for the entire house or building.
2. Residual current device – Residual current devices are switches used to disconnect the electricity from a circuit during dangerous conditions instantly. This indicates the significance of using a fuse box in every home construction. A skilled electrician offering professional electrical work in Chennai will educate customers about the purpose of fuse boxes. They state the importance of fuse boxes and encourage clients to install a high-quality fuse box for their residence.
3. Circuit breakers – Breaker panels, are fitted with circuit breakers in a column. They have switches labelled as ON/OFF. If the switch is in a flipped position halfway towards the OFF side, it indicates that the breaker is tripping. In such circumstances, it is essential to move it to OFF and then re-position it to ON to restore power.
4. Fuses – The fuse box contains a row of fuses, one after the other, lined inside it. In order to find out if a fuse is blown, you have to look into the small glass covering the fuse. If there are signs of scorch marks or melted metal, it is recommended to change the fuse. You can easily unscrew the fuse and replace it with a new one.

Types of Fuse Box

There are different types of fuse boxes available commercially to prevent the risk of a house fire or any damage to other electrical equipment. Three kinds of fuse boxes are popularly used for any electrical work in Chennai:

1. Edison base or Type-T fuses are the most commonly used for 120-volt or 125-volt household circuits.
2. Rejection base or Type-S fuses have an adapter that allows the threading to fit the Type-T socket.
3. Cartridge fuses are used for 240-volt appliance circuits. They are the main fuse to control the entire fuse box.

Steps Followed by Professionals in Electrical Work to Maintain a Fuse Box

Overload Signs

If your house's fuse box displays any of the below signs, it means that the box is overtaxed.

• Appliances unable to run at the same time
• Fuses being replaced frequently
• Noises from the fuse box like popping and hissing
• Increased wall temperatures around the electrical outlets

In order to prevent overload and any further damage, seek help from top electricians who will render the best electrical work in Chennai.

Fuse Box Maintenance

Maintaining a fuse box is not a very challenging task, as it is similar to maintaining a circuit breaker. You should understand that good maintenance of the fuse box keeps the home safe and prevents surprise outages or costly repairs. A regular inspection of the fuse box is necessary to have the wires in good form. If you find anything unusual, worn out or corroded, seek help from reputed electricians to get top-quality electrical work in Chennai. Always have plenty of extra fuses at home to replace them whenever there is a blow.

The Takeaway
By now, you would have a complete understanding of what a fuse box is and the tips to maintain it. The next time a fuse is blown and needs to be replaced, follow the above precautionary measures to ensure that the replacement goes on smoothly without any hiccups. FastHelp home services Chennai is a company that offers the best and timely fuse repair and maintenance services with professional electricians.