If a fuse blows in your fuse box it can mean anything from one appliance going down to a whole section of the house being left in the dark. It pays to know how to replace one that’s fizzled out so you can get your day or night back on track without having to call out the electrical services company. Here are a few things to remember when your fuse blows:
If the fuse blows and it’s night then you’re in the dark. Know where a torch is, or at least matches and a candle. Even if you know where your electrical box is and feel confident you could do it with your eyes closed; it’s just not a good idea to go feeling around inside electrical boxes without a proper light source.
Have your tools handy. You will need: fuse wire, wire cutters and a screwdriver. These can all be bought cheaply from a hardware store. Fuse wire come in different widths, denoting the amount they can handle before they blow. Be sure you have the right fuse wire. It’s a good idea to keep these things all in the same place so you don’t waste time when looking for them. Many people keep them in the electrical box.
Always turn off appliances that are connected to the affected fuse. Your fuse blew for a reason. Having all of your appliances on can do that. If this was the case when the fuse blew, make sure you go around and switch off and unplug everything that’s connected to the fuse, otherwise it will be immediately loaded with power and may cause the issue to occur again.
Once you’ve unplugged the appliances, see if they’ll work in another area of the house. If one of these appliances doesn’t work at all, it’s likely that this was the cause of the blown fuse. Don’t plug this appliance back in. See if you can fix it or have it fixed.
Once at the powerboard turn off the master switch. This should be clearly labelled with a large “On/Off”.
You will need to take out each fuse and inspect them to see which one has blown. It should be fairly metal industry news obvious. You will see that the wire is severed and there may be a small black scorch mark.
Replace the fuse wire. Undo the screws that fasten the fuse wire to the fuse and get rid of the burned-out fuse. Cut a new length of wire to size and screw it into place. Once this is done you can push the fuse itself back into the fuse board.
Turn on the master switch. After all this fuss you almost expect a sort of powering-up noise to signal that you’ve done it. No such luck. Go back to your appliances and turn them all back on.
Now go back to whatever it was you were doing before you were so rudely interrupted.
Changing a fuse wire isn’t rocket science, and certainly doesn’t require forklift used in warehouse an electrician. It’s a matter of preparation and keeping calm.
