Fuse Box Blows Fuses

1) Is my fuse box faulty?

1.0.1) If your fuse box blows fuses then it is normally not faulty. 

These old-style fuse boxes shown in the photograph here will not have the modern technology that newer consumer units do. These older fuse boxes have a fuse wire carrier and a fuse wire installed inside. When there is a sufficiently large fault on an electrical circuit the fuse wire will blow and cause the circuit to disconnect. 

If your fuse box is regularly requiring new fuse wire to be installed or circuit breakers to be reset then there is definitely a problem. These types of problems need to be investigated by an electrician with sufficient knowledge and experience to find the cause.

2) What is fuse wire?

Fuse wire is piece of incredibly thin metal that is designed to be inserted into a fuse carrier. The wire is specially sized, given its material and properties, to blow when a certain level of current is exceeded in any given circuit within which it is protecting. 

The type of fuses we see in these old style fuse boxes are very crude devices these days. They are far inferior to the modern style circuit breakers and RCD devices that we have in modern consumer units. If you have an old style fuse box then it is time think about changing the box for a more modern consumer unit that contains all the modern protection that keeps you, your family and your wiring system safe! 

3) What happens when a fuse wire blows?

Fuse wire blows when there is too much electrical current flowing in a circuit. This can be a gradual overloading for example when too many lights are turned on or when there is a sudden large fault current like a live wire touching an earthed part in a faulty appliance. 

The fuse wire heats up during normal use and cools down when the power demand is switched off. It can do this many times and be absolutely fine. When there is a higher demand for a longer period then the wire will heat up to the point of melting and will fail causing an open circuit. When the current demand is very large this happens much quicker and can often be heard as a pop. 

4) Why would a fuse wire keep blowing?

A fuse wire will keep blowing until the source of the problem has been investigated. There are a number of incidents that can happen to cause an electrical fault. There are a number of different types of electrical faults and issues BUT, these older style fuse boxes will not be able to see or react to them all. These older style fuse boxes are very basic and require a certain type of electrical fault in order to blow a fuse wire and successfully disconnect a circuit. If you find that a FUSE BOX BLOWS FUSES and keeps blowing them then you have an electrical problem. These kinds of electrical problems will normally require an electrician trained in inspection and testing in order to find the issue. 

5) What types of electrical fault will a fuse box miss?

There are a number of different types of electrical faults that can occur in an installation. These older style fuse boxes are not designed to detect all of them and also do not offer other protection.

• Neutral to Earth short circuit faults (e.g., Nail through a cable)
• Neutral to Earth Low insulation resistance faults (e.g. Poor cabling, water ingress, deteriorated cables)
• Line to Earth Low insulation resistance faults (e.g. Poor cabling, water ingress, deteriorated cable)
• Line to Neutral Low insulation resistance faults
• Reverse polarity issues

Many newer consumer units are much better at picking up on electrical safety issues, picking up on electrical faults, offering electric shock protection and surge protection. 

6) Can you repair circuits and fuse boxes?

We specialise in electrical fault finding and electrical safety checks. We are also able to carry out all sorts of other general electrical works for you. When you have an electrical wiring problem in your home, we are often able to repair the problem quickly and safely to get your homes electrical supply back up and running. Occasionally there are problems where electrical systems have been left to degrade too long and have become dangerous. 
In cases where wiring is too old, too deteriorated or beyond saving it is often the case that an electrical re-wire is the only way forward for the property.

We carry a range of second hand spares on the van that enable us to replace cracked fuse carriers, replace fuse wire and carry out minor repairs to older style fuse boxes but there are occasions when it is simply not safe or sensible to carry out a repair and a new consumer unit is the only way forward. 

7) What about electrical faults?

With electrical faults, we are able to find these quickly assuming we have access to all sockets, lights and switches. We can normally locate and repair most faults within an hour or two. Occasionally we can only locate a fault to a general area which then requires more invasive testing and works. In these cases, we will quote you for the works. 

8) How much will it cost me to have my electrics repaired?

That very much depends on what we find on our attendance to your home. In the first instance there will be attendance and labour costs to turn up and start investigations. The costs of these can be found by following the link below. Once we have got to the bottom of the issue most problems are resolved there and then. If the issue is hidden in floorboards or cavities OR requires a lot of parts to fix then we will give you a FREE QUOTE. 

If your FUSE BOX BLOWS FUSES and you need an emergency electrician, check our latest charges and read more information about electrical emergencies on our page here: https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/helpsheet/how-much-is-it%3F

If your issue is not an emergency and you are happy for us to attend within a few days then we normally charge less for this, simply fill in our contact form with as much detail as possible or give us a call to discuss.