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We had our fuse box changed to circuit breakers. Help!!

5 years ago

When we had our fuses changed to breakers (10 +years) we had the electricia add extra breakers. We just found out that half the house is on one breaker. This needs to be corrected obviousl, is this something that I can do or do I need to call an electricia??? TIA...

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Comments (5)

User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
That was obviously a pre existing condition with the fuses. A panel change doesn’t correct previous wiring sins. It just changes the overcurrent protection so that those sins are safer.

You now need an electrician to rewire at least half your house. Maybe the whole House. It depends on what is actually behind the walls, and what each breaker serves.
suedonim75
5 years ago
Yeah...this isn't a DIY project.
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DavidR
5 years ago
Sophie is right -- when you get a new panel, the installer just transfers the old circuits over to the new breakers.

So what half of the house is on that breaker? Is the breaker tripping frequently? If not, maybe the situation isn't as urgent as it seems.

If that circuit is mostly lights, you can cut the load on it by 75 to 90 percent by replacing all the incandescent bulbs with LEDs and/or compact fluorescents.
If you do need to rewire, it CAN be a DIY project, but you have to put in the effort to get some good old fashioned book learnin' before you jump in,

You also need to take your time. Start with the easy stuff. An absolute beginner should be prepared to spend something between months and years on the project.
wdccruise
5 years ago
I'd start by analyzing each breaker's circuit. Turn off all the breakers. Turn on the first breaker and figure out what's connected to it. Repeat for each breaker. Once you know that you can determine whether there are any problems, current or potential*. Here's a useful guide to residential circuits with which you can compare your house's circuits.

*For example, I had a choice of water heaters when I replaced mine but I had to make sure that the new one's requirements did not exceed the existing breaker capacity and wire size.
Mule Meat
5 years ago
If you tear into it. The entire house must be brought up to code. At the moment you are "grandfathered" in.

Back in the day people did not have so many items that used electricity. So 4 or 5 fuses to supply an entire house was nothing unusual to see. When you replace a fuse box with a breaker box. The wires that are present at the time are the only ones placed on breakers.

Back in the day people did not have so many items that used electricity. So 4 or 5 fuses to supply an entire house was nothing unusual to see. When you replace a fuse box with a breaker box. The wires that are present at the time are the only ones placed on breakers.

I am rehabbing a 24 unit apartment complex. The units have two up stairs bed room with a bath. Down stairs is the living room and kitchen. The breaker boxes were put in when the complex was built in 1986. The breaker boxes only use six 120 volt breakers (one for each room and one for the refrigerator. Then three 240 volt breakers (stove, Heat and AC). So you are talking using only 9 spaces in a breaker box that has 24 spaces.

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