Many older homes across the nation still operate electrically from the old screw-in or cartridge-type fuses. You know, the ones that either look like a small glass eye with a screw-in base or one of your grandfather’s shotgun shells?
We have come a long way since those were the electrical panel box of choice. So, let’s look at these older fuse boxes and explore the idea of changing that fuse box to a breaker box.
Should I Replace My Fuse Box With a Circuit Breaker Panel?
Before we nail down the choice, let’s look at each type of electrical box objectively.
Fuse panels were the box of choice when the only electrical requirements in a home were a few lights, a few outlets that operated the family radio, or maybe one of those old behemoth cabinet-style televisions.
The move to a circuit breaker-type box was indicative of the new electrical requirements in the modern family home. Besides lights, plugs, a radio, and/or a tv, you now had things like a washing machine, a dryer, central heat, and air, oh and do not forget those wonderful inventions, the refrigerator!
The circuit breaker panel was an upgrade to handle the new in-home gadgets. So yes, you should replace the fuse panel with the modern, safer, and overall better choice in the circuit breaker panel!
How Long Does it Take to Replace a Fuse Panel With a Breaker Box?
This depends solely on the house. Older homes with the older cloth insulation for wiring should have the home’s wiring upgraded as well as the breaker box upgrade.
It all depends on how involved this project is. Older homes expanding the home’s electrical capacity could take several days.
An older home that has already expanded its electrical capacity, a day maybe two. Look at it this way. Two days, or two weeks, either way, you are getting a safer home to live in!
Is a Breaker Panel Safer Than a Fuse Box?
A box full of breakers is by far a better choice. The distribution of the electricity is spread evenly across the box’s capability. The breaker box in use today is designed to meet and exceed the electrical requirements of your home.
That means all of your vital electrical components will be on a dedicated breaker and there should be additional space to add breakers and still be under the total amperage of your main breaker.
The old fuse type box is easy to overload, and the overloaded fuse box is a ticking time bomb!
Can You Upgrade a 60 amp Fuse Box to a 100 amp Breaker Box?
Absolutely! If your home currently operates off of a 60 amp fuse type box, and you upgrade to the 100 amp breaker box, provided your wiring is all good and none of that old cloth stuff, the 100 amp box will give you the extra capacity to expand the home’s electrical needs in the future.
Should you attempt this upgrade to a breaker box by yourself? Only if you are a certified electrician!
Anytime you are working on the panel box supplying the home your work should be done by a licensed electrician that is familiar with all the required residential wiring codes!
Penny Electric Can Upgrade Your Fused Wiring
If the home we are referring to here is located in the greater Las Vegas, Nevada area, Penny Electric will approach your fused wiring upgrade with the same respect, patience, professionalism, and honest integrity that made Penny Electric the electrical repair service provider of choice in the area.
Your home is your sanctuary, and you should feel safe anytime you are in a sanctuary! Let Penny Electric bring your fused wiring home into the 21st century with a quality upgrade that reflects both your safety and the proper residential electrical codes.
Give the team at Penny Electric a call or go by the website and see just how easy it can be to upgrade your fused wiring home!
(702) 279-6040
(702) 586-3771
Mon–Fri: 7AM–4PM
1987 Whitney Mesa Dr
