Determining Which Fuses Need to be Replaced

know what to do when they need to be replaced.

Have you ever been in the middle of using some household appliance and all of a sudden it stops working? You stop, obviously befuddled as to what has just happened, so you check the power switch and flick it a few times, but nothing happens. Next, you take a look at the plug to make sure that it is still plugged in, but there is no problem there either. Then, all of a sudden, it hits you. Nothing else is working in the room either. This means either that you forgot to pay your utility bill or you just blew some fuses.

Even though replacing fuses is a fairly simple process, it is never fun when they blow. It always happens when you least suspect it and at the most inopportune time. Now that you know what the problem is, it is time for you to take a trip to the hardware store so that you can buy some replacements. Before you rush out to the store, you need to know which particular fuses are blown, so that you do not purchase the wrong ones.

Locate your fuse box. In many homes, it is located in the basement near the main power outlet. In other homes, it really depends on how and when your home was built. This box can also be located out in the shed or garage.

Before you proceed to open it, you should put on a pair of rubber gloves. Rubber gloves will help protect you and decrease your risk of getting electrocuted. It sounds scary, but it never hurts to be prepared and properly cautious. Open the box and use a flashlight to help you see all of your fuses with clarity. Take a look at each individual one. You are looking for signs of a circuit that was overloaded. These signs include burnt marks on the clear glass component of the fuse, smoking, and the copper connector that runs in the middle of the fuse will be broken or separated.

Remove the ones that are blown. They are no longer able to function because the conducting relay has been destroyed. The copper strip is the conductor. Write down which types they are. Many standard homes use the 15 amps or 30 amps, but your home may be different.

Once you arrive at the hardware store, you can start looking for the fuses you need. Once you find them, you should head to the checkout and pay for them. You may be surprised to see that they are very inexpensive.

In order to replace the alloys that were blown, you need to put on your rubber gloves and place the correct alloy into the correct spot. Be careful not to put them in the wrong spot or a malfunction may happen. Don't take chances when it comes to electricity. Once you have replaced the alloys, close the box, and you can proceed with what you were doing. You should know that when the alloys blow due to your previous activity, it was because you were using too much power and it caused an overload. Before you resume that activity, you may want to unplug some things that are not currently in use.