Friday 7 October 2011

Fuse Box, "screw in" fuses?....?

Ok, I live in a apartment and my landloard has one of those screw in old fuse boxes downstairs, It scares the heck out of me when I have to change a fuse, and now one is blown again! Can you even buy them anymore? I also heard that they are now becoming illegal to have in houses due to the hazzards, I live in Wisconsin, is this true? Where would I find out?



Help!! I am sick of getting SHOCKED!~!!!!!~



Thanks for the imput!
Fuse Box, %26quot;screw in%26quot; fuses?....?
A fuse 'blows' for a couple of reasons.

One. a device or combination of devices on the circuit that this fuse services wants more current than the fuse will carry.

Two. a shorting or oxidizing condition in the fuse box causes the poles of the fuse to connect inside the socket.

Three. The usage of this circuit is heavy, and the metal link inside the fuse weakens.

Fuses are normally safe when the above conditions do not exist. Having said that, if any of the above conditions exist, then there is a potential for much more than a blown fuse.

Now, what do you do? First, change the fuse. They are still available at hardware stores. Obviously you know how to change one- it really shouldnt scare you. Just make sure you have a good pair of shoes on, and if you want to take extra precautions, wear a pair of rubber gloves.

If this is a persistient problem with one particular fuse, you may want to hire an electrician to determine load on this circuit, and determine wire and load value on the system. You have to understand that rewiring an entire apartment would probably be prohibitively expensive; you can find an appartment that costs more too. If you feel that you have no choice but to confront your landlord- have your electrician write down his proffesional opinion of his findings. Write a letter to him and include a copy of this. If you dont get kicked out, and he doesnt do anything about it, you can contact the local code enforcement division of your building permit office, located in your county seat.

Making your landlord aware legally of this condition will make it hard for him to deny paying for your damages concerning a fire, should this happen.

It is like this. You rent this building. You have to get along with your landlord. IF you make a big stink about this, plan to find another appartment. He can always find someone who likes the rent enough to change out the fuses.
Fuse Box, %26quot;screw in%26quot; fuses?....?
The screw in type %26quot;Edison%26quot; fuse is no longer approved for use in most occupied dwellings. An insert is put in the fuse box to prevent a %26quot;Edison%26quot; from being installed. The new fuse is nearly the same, but only the proper amperage can be installed.

The %26quot;Edison%26quot; was all the same size, hence too large an amp rating could and many times was installed, causing many fires.

Check with your local power company, and have a qualified professional electrician inspect the panel.
Have you actually been getting shocked? If so, the panel is not wired correctly, or improper grounding--you should report it to some local authority (makeshift landlord did his own wiring, made it function, and that's all). Also, if fuses are being frequently blown, he's probably tied way too many things together and eventually there will be a fire instead of a blown fuse. Do you have smoke detectors? --or let me guess, their fuse is blown/batteries dead?

Anyway, if you are getting shocked off the panel: don't ever touch it if the floor is wet; if you have to change a fuse, keep one hand clear/in your pocket, wear running shoes, open the door with two fingers, touch only the glass rim on the fuse when twisting it out. You should not get a shock if you do all that. More importantly, report the ahole tomorrow!

Just read the above reply, and yes you have to be somewhat tactful in handling an unruly landlord. Here in Ontario, tennants have rights, I'm sure you do too! Anyway, I suspect he has you and 47 other people living under one roof...so, if you haven't already made a fuss with him, don't bother with him and go direct to whatever ruling agencies you have. He can't evict all of you because 'someone' complained (could be a former tennant--know any?)...Good luck, have fun, keep safe!
place a call to the city electrical or health inspector. ask them to come and take a look at it. tell them you are getting shocked. they should put some pressure on your landlord to fix the problem or revoke his occupancy permit.