If you are old enough to remember having a fuse box in your home, you might also remember what a hassle it was to change blown fuses in the dark. Thankfully, the fuse box is a memory for most older people. Today’s homes are outfitted with breaker panels instead. Do you know the difference?
I have very faint memories of a fuse box in the basement. By the time I was eight or nine, my father had replaced it with a breaker panel. So I have clear memories of running down to the basement to flip a tripped breaker. My older brothers remember changing fuses.
Pre-1960s Technology
The fuse box is pre-1960s technology. Fuse boxes were installed as safety mechanisms when utilities first began running power to residential homes. Eventually, the breaker panel came along. It proved to be more efficient and safer. That is why most homes have them today. But if you live in an older home, you still might be rocking a fuse box.
How They Differ
The experts at Utah’s SameDay, an electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractor in the greater Salt Lake City area, say that both fuse boxes and breaker panels accomplish the same thing. They prevent electrical system overload by stopping the flow of current. What makes them different is how that goal is accomplished.
A fuse box is loaded with fuses that are little more than cylinders with metal caps on either side. Running between those caps is a thin wire. The wire breaks and instantly cuts the flow of current if the loan on it is too heavy.
A breaker panel dispenses with the fuses in favor of a type of switch that will automatically shut off under excess load. Tripping a breaker will immediately stop the flow of electricity through the system.
Another difference is how electricity is restored. Blown fuses need to be replaced. You physically remove the old fuse and put a new one in its place. That could mean slipping a fuse into a clip or screwing it into the fuse box.
Resetting a circuit breaker is very simple. You just move the switch all the way to the ‘off’ position and then back to ‘on’. Doing so restores the connection so that the power can flow once again.
Safer and More Reliable
Fuse boxes got the job done when they were the only option. But according to SameDay, breaker panels replaced them because they proved safer and more reliable. A breaker panel delivers more consistent power. It can handle much heavier loads.
An old fuse box typically provided 60-amp service. That doesn’t meet the needs of a modern home equipped with powerful appliances and HVAC systems. Breaker panels are another story. They typically provide 100-200 amps. It is possible to install a panel providing even more power if need be.
Fuse Boxes and Homeowner’s Insurance
In addition to breaker panels being safer and more reliable, they also make insurance companies happier. Fuse box technology is considered outdated. So much so that insurance companies are increasingly reluctant to insure homes that still have fuse boxes installed. If nothing else, being able to obtain homeowner’s insurance is good motivation to upgrade to a breaker panel.
Personally, I am glad that the days of the fuse box are over. I prefer the safety, performance, and convenience of the breaker panel. There are no more fuses to buy and I’m able to run high powered appliances without worry. I cannot see myself ever buying an older home that still has a fuse box.