Fuse Box Upgrade to Circuit Box (Service Upgrade)

The fuse box is where all your electrical power is distributed from in your home. If a fuse fails, it must be replaced for the electrical power to be distributed to the electrical component in your home. Fuse boxes are generally installed in older homes.

A fuse box that has exceeded its life expectancy or has not been maintained properly can create a serious safety issue. The signs that the fuse box may need repair or upgrading to a circuit panel box are the need to frequently replace fuses that have blown out, wiring may have become loose over the years, or the wiring insulation may be worn or torn and is contacting the ground. A licensed electrician should inspect the fuse box to avoid the risk of fire.

If your home has a circuit box panel and you are adding equipment that exceeds the load the existing circuit box panel can distribute, our licensed electricians can replace or perform a service upgrade to provide you with the proper circuit box panel that meets your homes new power needs. The upgrade of a fuse box might also be to comply with codes and increase safety measures. 

If any of these conditions exist, please contact State-Wide Electric to review your options and needs.

Reasons for a Fuse Box Upgrade

The fuse box or fuse panel was standard in homes for many decades. The fuses separated the different circuits for the house. In the case of a voltage overload, a fuse would burn out and cut off the electrical flow to its circuit. However, the fuse box is mostly out of date now and needs to be upgraded. Electrical panels that use circuit breakers have replaced them in many circumstances. Circuit breakers trip due to voltage spikes rather than burn out. After the trip, they can be reset afterward rather than having to put in a new fuse. 

If your home still has a fuse box, you might think that it is not that big of a problem and you can get by with the occasional inconvenience. However, we do not recommend this line of thinking for several reasons. We will explain why scheduling a professional fuse box upgrade is the best choice for your home. Here are four different reasons you may need a fuse box upgrade.

Reason #1: Fuse boxes can create safety hazards

If your house has a fuse box, then it is probably more than 50 years old at this point. That is far past when it should have been replaced. Electrical current places wear on any electrical panel, which creates a greater danger of electrical fires occurring. Many fuse boxes also lack some of the basic safety protections present in modern breaker boxes, such as AFCI protection that stops arcing faults. Keep your home safe with an upgrade today. 

Reason #2: Fuse boxes can’t keep up with current electrical use

The amount of electricity used in modern homes has increased greatly since the days when fuse boxes were the standard. To deal with higher electrical loads, fuse boxes need larger and larger fuses. These bigger fuses make electrical fires more likely and will also lead to inconsistent electrical performance for the house. Which also causes daily disruption for the ineffectiveness of the fuse box.

Reason #3: Changing fuses is a hassle

Electrical panels with breaker boxes make life much easier whenever a breaker trips. You simply have to go to the panel and reset the breaker switch. When a fuse blows, you have to manually replace it. On top of that, breaker panels are much smaller than fuse boxes and can handle additional circuits. This way you can divide up the house into more circuits drawing on less power. 

Reason #4: Replacing a fuse box can lower your insurance premiums

Due to the fact that fuse boxes come with higher risk, they often can elevate a homeowner’s insurance premiums. When you make a fuse box upgrade, you may wind up saving hundreds of dollars each year off those premiums. The electrical panel will also raise the value of your home if you’re planning to sell it in the future. 

Upgrade Considerations