- A technician determines the amperage on the electrical system of the home. This is done by dividing the full load by 120 or 240 (the voltage of the circuit) and multiplying the result by 1.25. The full load is expressed in watts and typically is found written on the inside of the fuse box or on the circuit breaker.
- The technician turns off or disconnects power at the fuse box. This ensures that the worker will not be subjected to any electrical shocks during installation that could result in serious injury or even death.
- He removes the front panel of the old fuse box; typically this is done by unscrewing the screws that hold the panel in place, but some models require the removal of nuts with a wrench. To do this, the technician or repairman stands on a grounding mat for extra protection and uses grounded tools--although the power is turned off at this point, the precaution against shock is still taken.
- Next he removes all of the fuses from the fuse box. Some fuses just pop in and out of place, while others are screwed in, depending on the model of the box.
- The technician next disconnects all of the wires from where they are connected at the terminals for the fuses. It is helpful for the technician to label the wires as they are disconnected so that the wires do not get confused during reattachment. At this point the old box is ready for removal.
- The technician puts the new box into place and reconnects the wires to the fuse terminals.
- Then, he puts new fuses into the fuse box or puts back the old fuses (if still good and compatible with the new box).
- The technician screws the front panel of the new box in place.
- After all the parts of the fuse box are in place and connected, the technician turns the power back on and appliances can be used again as usual.
