How to Change a Fuse
With a pop, the lights go out in one room of your house. In older homes, this usually means a trip to the basement (or some other dark, cobwebby place) to find the fuse box and replace the blown fuse. Just like circuit breakers in newer homes, fuses protect against power surges and help prevent electrical fires. As with all electrical devices, a certain amount of caution is necessary, but changing a fuse isn't difficult. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Make sure that the floor you're standing on isn't wet. If it is, stand on a wooden board or rubber mat.
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Turn off the power main if you're nervous about touching the fuse box. While changing the blown fuse doesn't present any danger, the working fuses are still active.
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Locate the blown fuse. If the fuses in your fuse box aren't labeled for which room they control, look for the fuse that appears gray and cloudy.
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Unscrew the old fuse. You can do this with your fingers without fear of electrocution. Some fuses are very old and may be rusty and hard to unscrew, so you may have to work it back and forth to get it out.
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Screw in the new fuse. Make certain the new fuse is of the same amperage as the old one, because using a fuse with a higher amperage is a serious fire hazard.
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Tips & Warnings
Most fuse boxes have a diagram inside showing which fuse controls which room. If your fuse box does not have this diagram, make one. Turn on all the lights in your house and unscrew each fuse one by one to see which lights go out, and label each fuse accordingly. It's a good idea to keep a few spare fuses on hand in case you blow a fuse when the hardware stores are closed, or when you can't leave the house. Fuses shouldn't blow very often. If it keeps happening, call an electrician to find the source of the problem.
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- Photo Credit Image courtesy of Wikipedia
