ASHI New Jersey home inspections by an  an Independent Home Inspection in New Jersey

Electrical Safety

Blown Fuses
Fuses blow when problems occur. When a circuit breaker trips you should turn off all lights and appliances on the circuit and turn them on one at a time after you restore power.   If a fuse blows you should find out why before changing it.  If a defective appliance is plugged in a fuse blows you should unplug the appliance and install the correct size fuse.  If you notice a fuse blows when too many appliances are turned on at the same time you should have additional circuits installed to avoid overheating wires in the walls.

Usually there is a visual indication a fuse has blown.  Many times the glass is black or the metal strip is broken.  In either case follow safe procedures for replacing the fuse and take corrective actions in order to avoid a house fire.   

Keep a good flashlight near the fuse panel with good batteries, changing a fuse in the dark or with a candle has the potential to be a disaster. 

If you are buying a home with a fuse panel you should keep in mind you may not be able to obtain insurance at normal rates so you should consider replacement with circuit breakers.

Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers that trip are usually in the "middle". When a circuit breaker trips you should turn off all lights and appliances on the circuit and turn them on one at a time after you restore power.   If a circuit breaker trips you should find out why before changing it.  If a defective appliance is plugged in a circuit breaker trips you should unplug the appliance and reset the circuit breaker.  If you notice a circuit breaker trips when too many appliances are turned on at the same time you should have additional circuits installed to avoid overheating wires in the walls.

Find out where you fuse box or circuit breaker panel is so you can find it in the event of an emergency!