The wiring in homes is protected from overload by circuit breakers or fuses. If the breakers or fuses are correctly sized they will protect the wires and circuits from overheating (i.e.; drawing too much electricity). Overheated wires could cause a house fire. Over-fused breakers or fuses should be replaced;
If you are adding appliances or systems and are unsure of the rated wire size, have a qualified person check your house wiring to ensure the correct size of fuse or circuit breaker is being used;
If you are using fuses instead of circuit breakers, it is advisable to install special inserts called Type S or Fustat to prevent using the wrong size fuse;
All types of resettable circuit breakers require maintenance. At least once a year it is advisable to switch the breaker off, and then on to prevent seizure, sometimes referred to as “freezing;”
Remember, if the fuse burns out, it is NOT because the fuse is too small; it is because the load on the line is too heavy. DO NOT increase the amperage rating of the fuse. Rather, reduce the load on the circuit by placing some of the heavier current devices such as toasters, hair dryers and electric space heaters on another circuit;
If you are using an extension cord off a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) protected circuit, you may sometimes blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker. Try using a heavier duty or a shorter extension cord;
GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) are recommended in areas near water sources such as bathrooms, kitchens, garages and the outdoors. New construction requires GFCI protection in these areas. Some GFCI breakers are built into the receptacles with test and reset buttons. Other breakers can be located in the circuit breaker box. Both types of GFCI circuit breaker systems should be tested once a month to avoid seizure/failure. Use a small appliance, such as a hair dryer, when checking most resetting devices as some products are found to trip but will still draw current. If this is the case the GFCI device is defective or wired incorrectly.
Any and all exposed wiring should be properly secured and protected. There should be no loose or unprotected wires present or outside of junction boxes. These conditions are typically synonymous with unqualified and amateur repairs, and warrant an evaluation from a specially qualified inspector.
In newer construction AFCI are installed in every bedroom. These devices look like GFCI’s except they are designed to identify arc faults which pose a potential fire hazard. These should be tested monthly similar to GFCI devices.
Check to see if your circuit breaker panel is manufactured by a company called Federal Pacific. Panels manufactured by this company have been found to be problematic in which the over-current protection fails to trip and break the circuit during an overload, which can result in a fire. Federal Pacific circuit panels should be professionally repaired/replaced.
