home improvement

Changing A Fuse Panel To A Circuit Breaker Panel - Part 1

Subscribe to our diy, home improvement newsletter.

home improvement diy newsletter

Home

Blog

New Pages

Main Index

New Product Showcase

Gardening

Flooring

Bathroom

Kitchen

     

Home Improvement Categories

A

Additions

Air Cleaners

Air Conditioning

Air Quality

Appliances

Articles

Asphalt Driveway

Attic

 

B

Backsplash

Basement

Bathroom

Before & After Pictures

Blinds

Books

Building Permits

 

C

Cabinets

Calculators

Carpet

Caulking

Ceilings

Concrete

Condensation

Construction

Contractor

Converters

Cork

Counter Tops

 

D

Decks

Demolition

Design / Layout

Doors

Driveways

Drywall

 

E

Electricity & Electrical

Environmental

Exterior

 

F

Fans

Faucets

Fences

Financing

Fireplace

Fixtures

Flooring

 

G

Gardening

Garage

Glass Blocks

 

H

Heating

Home Automation

Hot Water Systems

Humidity

 

I

Insulation

Insurance

 

K

Kitchen

 

L

Laminate Flooring

Landscaping

Lead Based Paint

Lighting

Luxurious Materials

 

M

Magazines

Mold & Moisture

 

P

Painting

Patio

Plans - Free

Plumbing

Publications

 

R

Roofing

Roofs

 

S

Safety

Security

Sinks

Skylights

Stairs

Steel Studs

Structured Wiring

 

T

Tile - Flooring

Toilets

Tools

 

V

Vacuums - Central

Ventilation

Vinyl Flooring

 

W

Wallpaper

Walls

Window Decor

Windows

Wood Flooring

 
   

Find a Contractor

 

Changing A Fuse Panel To A Circuit Breaker Panel

Part 2      Part 3

It should be noted that in most jurisdictions it is necessary to obtain an electrical permit in order to convert from a fuse panel to a circuit breaker panel.  Usually this type of permit is only granted to licensed electrical contractors.  Failure to do so can lead to fines and utilities disconnecting power to your home.

A selection of distribution panels (load centers)

 

Figure 1 - Distribution panel or load center

Electrical distribution fuse panels ( as shown in Figure 2) have become obsolete and in many jurisdictions a homeowner cannot get home insurance if they have a fuse panel installed.

Although a properly installed fuse panel is safe, insurance companies see the convenience to over size the fuse on a circuit as a potential hazard.

If you are converting from a fuse panel to a circuit breaker panel (as shown in Figure 1), because your home needs more power, then you must have the utility replace the incoming feed wires to your home.  Just installing a new electrical distribution panel with more circuits will not provide your home with more power if the incoming service is not changed.  The wires coming to your meter are sized based on the service provided.  More power means larger gauge wires coming into your home.

house fuse panel

Figure 2 - House fuse panel

The basic electrical service coming into your home will look something similar to Figure 3:

Residential electrical service configuration including meter, main disconnect and load center or distribution panel

Figure 3 - Residential electrical service configuration including meter, main disconnect and load center or distribution panel

If you have a fuse panel then the main disconnect will most likely have cartridge fuses installed, rated at the load acceptable for the home.

 

If you have sufficient power, and only want to change the current fuse panel to a circuit breaker panel, leaving the main disconnect as it is with the cartridge fuses, then the electrical parts that you require can be obtained at most of the big box home improvement stores, online, or at an electrical wholesale. 

Make a list of the number and sizes of circuit breakers that you will require.  The breaker size is based on the gauge of the wire that is being used to run from the distribution panel to the device or appliance.

Do not assume that the screw-in fuse rating is correct for the wire size or circuit.  People have a tendency to increase fuse amperage ratings as time progresses.

Charts on correct wire gauges for different amperes.

Purchase a panel that has more circuits spaces than you currently require so that you will have available spare breaker positions for future additions.

There should never be more than one wire on any fuse or breaker terminal.  If there is more than one wire on a terminal count each wire as a separate circuit.

Continued..........

 

Manufacturers, Retailers, Dealers - Advertise on this page!

home improvement

Contact

diy

fuse to breaker panel

copyright 2006/8 - all rights reserved

replacing a fuse panel