Older fuse box upgrades: The things you should be aware of

You believe that it's secure. The lights are still working, and the fuses continue to function. Even if you don't have wire fuses, these boxes carry all the electrical load that we use in our homes. The more you force them to perform, the more likely they are to fail. A faulty fuse box could be fatal due to electrical shock or even result in a fire in your home. Are you able to put yourself at risk?

The importance of fuse boxes

It's not just the strain on our Internet that has grown with time, or does the strain we place on our electrical systems. We also add new appliances, larger heaters or air conditioners for our comfort, and a spa or pool to unwind in, and maybe we throw to our home automation. All of it adds up. On top of that, the regulation of wiring standards is improved, and it's not unheard of to see a fuse box be outdated and heated under the neck, and possibly risky.

The risks of an old fuse box are frightening. Fuse boxes and circuit breakers that are old can cause a lot of electrical fires in the home. You might not have the safety switches to shield your family members from electric shocks.

The reasons why you might have to replace your old fuse box

Renovations

This is probably the most typical reason we get when we receive upgrade requests, but it's not the sole reason.

Maybe you're adding an extra room, building a storey, renovating your bathroom, or remodeling your kitchen; each of these changes how the wiring of your house was planned and the box that was originally built to deal with.

The extra load, if not updating your fuse box, could cause circuits to overheat and trip, dimming light and, most importantly, sparks of fire.

New appliances

The next frequent reason for people to request an upgrade. Maybe you've required replacing an old hot water heater oven, cooktop or even an air cooling unit. Particularly if you upgrade to a larger kitchen appliance or a different design (like the induction cooktops) and you discover that you require an upgrade.

It's not restricted to appliances. Maybe you've changed the lighting in your room or even added fans. This adds to the load that your current fuse box must handle.

Other indicators that you should upgrade

In addition to the major motives that homeowners must upgrade their existing circuit breaker, here are a couple of less obvious reasons :

• Inviting pets or children to an existing home
• A home purchase without an alarm
• Your home isn't equipped with an emergency switch
• Your home is still fuse wires
• Lights dimming
• Certain appliances are always on power.
• Certain circuits will always trip.
• The house can be turned into BnB or a rental.

What is the cost of replacing an older fuse box?

A basic upgrade can cost anywhere from $600-$1500.

If the mains in your home require upgrading, the cable needs to be installed as well as the fuse box has to be moved. It will cost $3000-$7000.

This means that there are many things electricians should be aware of when comparing prices when they are required to upgrade their equipment:

• Do you think it is necessary to move?
• Does the power that is coming into the home require an upgrade (i.e., to three-phase)?
• Does the fuse box in use contain asbestos?
• Are they asbestos-bound around the fuse box?
• Can the new cabinet be installed within the cabinet already in place, or is a completely new cabinet needed?
• Do you require new circuits and wired-in? Do all circuits require replacing?
• Do you think the safety switch needs to be replaced because it's outdated or too small?