FIRE can be caused by an Improper and unsafe Electrical Service!

If your panel is "full", you frequently blow fuses or trip breakers or if your panel is old, there is a good chance you should consider upgrading your service.

Some things to look for are....... more than one wire on a fuse or breaker, deterioriated insulation, loose connections, corroded connections, wire not protected by the proper size fuse or breaker, poor ground or a general overall look at the panel indicating due to the age it is time for an upgrade.

Fuses and breakers, when Properly sized, protect the wiring as they were designed.   Too often when fuses blow or breakers trip, the problem is correected by increasing the breaker or fuse size so it won't happen again!   This is not the correct way of solving the problem.   To prevent the possibility of fire ALL wire has to be protected by the proper size fuse or breaker!

If the breaker or fuse size is too high for the wire it is trying to protect, the wire will overheat on a continous overload due to losing the safety provided by the proper size breaker or fuse.

If you have a fuse box and you see plug fuses larger than 20 amps, there is a good chance the fuses are too big!   If they are, they should be changed to the right size to prevent any further damage to the wire insulation.   This may also prevent a fire!

If you install the correct breaker or fuse for the wire size and you still have problems, this means there is an overload!   The overload should be corrected.   NEVER install a larger breaker or fuse!

If you have an electric service that is of the fuse type, there is a chance that is is not safe and should be looked at by a qualified electrician. Your electrician can remove the panel cover and label each fuse location by the maximum fuse that should be installed. He finds this out by the wire size connected to each fuse. It just takes a few minutes and is time well spent.

In addition to the above mentioned items, back when fuse panels were being installed, it was normal to install the meter outside and run a "cable" inside to the fuse panel.   There is nothing wrong with this if it was installed correctly.   Correctly means the wire has to have a fused disconnect OUTSIDE to protect the wire going from the meter to the panel, especially if it is any distance at all.

Years ago, it was common practice in areas that had no electrical inspection to run cable from the meter to the panel regardless of the distance.   This means the wiring from the meter to the panel is "unprotected"!   If the insulation deteriorated and the conductors touched or if someone accidently cut or drove a nail through the cable it would not be protected and could injure someone or cause a fire!

If you have any doubt or questions,

Call a Licensed Electrician!

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