1950's
First check with other people in nearby homes to find out if there is a general power outage. If there is, call the power company to ask about it. If everyone else has power, SAFELY look in your main service panel, where the meter is, to check if any of the breakers or fuses are tripped or have blown. If so, turn breakers back on or replace fuses. If they still trip CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.
You go to the fuse box and look at each of the fuses' tops to see which one is burned/melted. Most fuses have glass tops thru which you can check to see if the conduit is intact. If it is burned you unscrew the fuse and replace it, making sure the replacement is of the same amperage. Make sure you turn off the main power before you do this or else you may get shocked. Most houses built after the 1960's use circuit breakers instead of fuses.
It is recommended to use a circuit breaker with a rating of 15-20 amps for plugs and geysers in residential homes. However, it is important to consult an electrician to determine the appropriate circuit breaker size based on the specific electrical load requirements of your plugs and geysers.
The fuse is supposed to be the weakest link in the circuit. The circuit is rated to handle a specific load current. The wire and insulation rating of the circuit is governed by this specific load. If this load malfunctions and the load current becomes higher that what is specified, the fuse is there to break the circuit. Never over fuse an electrical circuit with a larger amp rated fuse. <<>> for overcurrent protection nec art, 240
Fuse
During an electrical fault, be it a short circuit or circuit overload, fuses and breakers are designed to open at a specific amperage. This opening of either device eliminates a fire hazard before it gets a chance to start. This is how fuses and breakers protect the home.
No. Plugs, lamps and 220 V a.c. items are in parallel with the breakers.CorrectionAll loads are in parallel with the supply voltage, but in series with the circuit breakers or fuses.
From the beginning of electricaly wired homes (aprx. 1880) until about the late 50's or early 60's. They were replaced with circuit breakers because circuit breakers will trip a lot faster when a short occurs and can be re-used as apposed to having to be thrown out and replaced after a short.
The safety devices does not close, but opens the circuit. Homes in the United States must have circuit current protection in order to meet building code requirements. They can use fuses or the push-in circuit breakers. In order for amperage to flow through them, they must be closed, which provides a continuous flow of current from the source to the load. If too much amperage passes through, the fuse blows or the circuit breaker opens, creating an open circuit that stops the flow of electricity.
First check with other people in nearby homes to find out if there is a general power outage. If there is, call the power company to ask about it. If everyone else has power, SAFELY look in your main service panel, where the meter is, to check if any of the breakers or fuses are tripped or have blown. If so, turn breakers back on or replace fuses. If they still trip CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.
Fuses and circuit breakers are meant to protect your home's wiring from the heat generated from fault-currents and over-currents. Over-currents happen when you exceed the amperage the fuse or breaker is rated for over a period of time (IE: drawing 20 amps on a 15 amp circuit breaker). When this occurs a fuse or circuit breaker will open the circuit so the wiring in your home will not be damaged. Over-currents happen when electricity finds a path, other than the one intended, to ground. When this happens there is very little resistance to slow the flow of electricity and the amperage through the circuit can exceed the fuse or circuit breakers rated capacity by several hundred times . These type of faults cause the fuse or circuit breaker to open the circuit very quickly.
Circuit breakers. Some older homes still have fuse boxes.
For the US, the two common values are 15 and 20 amps, with 20 being the most common in newer homes and 15 more common in older homes. Which one is used is determined by what size of wiring is run. 15A breakers feed 14 AWG wire, and 20A breakers must use 12 AWG or larger. If you simply replace a 15A breaker with a 20, you will create a fire hazard.
In home installations, the breakers will be found in the service distribution panel. In some homes this distribution is found in the basement. In ranch type homes, slab on grade, the distribution panel will be found in the utility room that houses the washer and dryer.
It is recommended to use a circuit breaker with a rating of 15-20 amps for plugs and geysers in residential homes. However, it is important to consult an electrician to determine the appropriate circuit breaker size based on the specific electrical load requirements of your plugs and geysers.
You go to the fuse box and look at each of the fuses' tops to see which one is burned/melted. Most fuses have glass tops thru which you can check to see if the conduit is intact. If it is burned you unscrew the fuse and replace it, making sure the replacement is of the same amperage. Make sure you turn off the main power before you do this or else you may get shocked. Most houses built after the 1960's use circuit breakers instead of fuses.
A circuit breaker is a safety device that is put in an electrical circuit. When something fails, or shorts out, the circuit breaker "senses" the excessive current and automatically opens (or breaks) the circuit. They are used in homes, as well as some electrical devices. They are different than a fuse in that a circuit breaker can be reset. A fuse on the other hand, has to be replaced once it opens up. I hope this helps you. for more info, here is a web page about circuit breakers: <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-circuit-breaker.htm">Ciruit breakers</a>