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Day in and day out, your home’s electrical system provides you and your family with a steady supply of power. Despite its general reliability, your home’s electrical system may be dangerously outdated. This is especially true if your panel contains push-button fuses instead of modern breakers.
While scheduling a panel upgrade seems like a massive undertaking, it is a must if you want to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of outdated electrical equipment. We address the dangers of fuse-based panels and outline the benefits of a modernized electrical system. We even show you just how easy making the switch can be with the right Central Connecticut contracting team.
In the past, electrical panels used fuses to prevent electrical overloads. A popular variation of this was push-button fuses. This type of panel was popular from the 1950s to the 1980s, but they are considered unsafe today. In fact, push-button fuse panels are no longer manufactured or installed in modern homes.
They are characterized by typically round buttons within your panel. If a breaker trips, it is reset by pushing the button. While this development was considered innovative at the time, the push-button fuses have several drawbacks.
Springs Become Damaged
The button system on this style of fuse relies on small metal springs. Over time, the springs rust and corrode. This makes them brittle and prone to sticking or breaking, which will prevent the fuse from tripping.
If your fuse does not trip when an excess amount of power is flowing through it, then an electrical fire can form. The excess power and inability to shut off the fuse can create a danger of electric shock.
Shock Hazard
Damaged springs are not the only reason why push-button fuses pose a high danger of electric shock. The on/off indicator on this style of a fuse can also become stuck. This can give you a false indication of the power flow status of your circuits.
The safety hazards of push-button fuses should offer plenty of incentive to upgrade your electrical panel. However, the benefits do not stop there. There are plenty of reasons why you should make the switch, including:
Reliability
Frequently thrown breakers are unsafe and inconvenient. Having to constantly go down to your basement to reset a breaker can disrupt your day and make completing simple tasks like washing laundry frustrating. By upgrading your home’s electrical panel, you will make these problems a thing of the past.
Improved Electrical Capacity
If your home still has push-button fuses, there is a good chance that your electrical panel is thirty years old or more. Homes from past eras were not designed to accommodate the appliances used by the modern family.
A new electrical panel will not only incorporate modernized breakers, but it can improve overall capacity as well. You can opt for a larger, more robust panel with more breakers. This will allow you to connect devices such as pool pumps, electrical vehicle chargers, generators, and more.
Safety
Have you noticed our emphasis on how unsafe push-button fuses are in your home? A modern electrical panel will incorporate circuit breakers with both magnetic and thermal failsafe. This provides you and your family with an extra layer of protection, greatly reducing the risk of a fire or electric shock.
A modern panel is safer for your wallet too as it can prevent costly damage to your home. Even if you have homeowner’s insurance, making a claim is expensive. Not to mention that some insurance companies may try to avoid paying for damages caused by a panel that is out of code. Upgrading your panel is the best way of protecting your home and remaining compliant with modern coding regulations.
Does your home have a push-button fuse electrical panel? Are you ready to make the switch to a modern circuit-breaker-based system? If so, then you need to contact Tranmer Electric.
We provide free quotes on panel upgrades and can get to work fast! Our friendly and knowledgeable electrical contractors can help you choose the ideal panel size for your home. We look forward to serving you.
