Many older homes run on fuse panels rather than modern circuit breakers. The use of glass fuses is usually a sign that your wiring may be old and obsolete. It can cause several issues, including shock hazards and fires. Many people ask, “Are fuses Dangerous?” and the answer is no. When the fuse system was designed it was designed for safety. But there are better options especially if you plan to add any modern electrical devices that draw more power than older ones. Fuses in electric panels will blow if too much power is being drawn into them. This will result in a loss of power.

Empire Electrical Solutions in San Luis Obispo can inspect your home wiring and determine whether your system is outdated and based on your needs, whether you should consider an upgrade. Having this done is a great way to increase safety and the overall efficiency of the power in your home.

Should You Upgrade?

One of the main questions people ask when they are renovating or repairing their home is, “Should I upgrade fuses to circuits?”. That is ultimately something that can only be decided by you. However, there are several reasons why it should be considered.

Convenience

Fuses aren’t the shining light of convenience. They often blow at bad times, and you never seem to have a replacement on hand when it’s needed. On the other hand, when a circuit is overloaded, all it does is flip the switch that cuts the power alleviating the need to go to the store to get a replacement. And the old fuse panels were only designed to withstand a maximum of 60 amps. With our demand for energy rising, circuit breaker panels stand superior with their capacity of 100 amps, or more, supporting your technologically advanced devices. More power equals more convenience.

Safety

While fuse panels were designed to be safe, they are hardly safe in practice anymore, given a few factors. Energy consumption is one of them. When fuse panels were popular, the load that they handled is less than that which is demanded today. As the years passed, people would begin putting the wrong fuses in as replacements thinking they could prevent the fuse from blowing. This only created fire hazards that could have been easily avoided. However, replacing your fuse box with a circuit breaker will reduce that risk, while eliminating fuse replacements altogether.

Insurance

If you own a home then you understand the importance of homeowner’s insurance. One of the factors insurance companies look at at when they are planning to insure a home is their electrical system. Many, if not all, insurance companies require that a circuit breaker panel be installed in place of a fuse box. They recognize that safety is important and understand the benefits of a circuit breaker as opposed to a fuse box.

Home Value

Whether you want to increase your value for personal reasons or resale reasons, the addition of an updated electrical panel is a great way to add value to a home. Not to mention, most buyers prefer circuit breakers over fuses.