Can I Use Just Any Size Fuse Or Circuit Breaker?

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Our love for electrical gadgets is on the steady rise, and at the same time, there has also been an increase in the number of accidents caused due to the improper use of electricity. In Atlanta, Georgia properties worth thousands to millions of dollars are being lost annually due to accidental electrical fires. In order to protect their homes, Atlanta property owners are taking different safety measures like making sure their properties are electrically grounded and replacing fuses with circuit breakers.

If the building you live in is more than two decades old, then in all probability, you are still using a fuse box, and not a modern circuit breaker panel. The electrical circuits in your home may not be able to handle the load of the modern electronic devices, and as soon as you begin to operate it, the fuse may blow.

More than often many people would replace the blown fuse with a higher amperage fuse thinking this will resolve the issue of fuse blowing, but then, you have unknowingly invited a bigger trouble for your home electrical wiring. True, a larger fuse allows more current to flow through the electrical wiring of your home, but there is an increased chance of the electrical circuit overheating, which could lead to a fire.

In modern Atlanta homes, circuit breakers have replaced traditionally used fused circuits to avoid fires caused due to overheated electrical wires. Using the correct size fuse or circuit breaker is essential if you want to protect electrical wiring system in your home from excessive heating.

If you use a lower amperage overcurrent protection device (OCPD) such as a fuse or circuit breaker to protect an electrical circuit, then it will trip frequently, thus causing inconvenience to the user. On the other hand, using a larger size overcurrent protection device is not the solution to the problem, as a larger fuse will allow excess current to flow through the wiring that it is not rated to withstand. Again, this can lead to fire hazard.

The solution to the problem is simple. Engage the expertise of a licensed Atlanta electrician to find the correct amperage of circuit and install the proper size fuse or breaker that you need to protect the wiring in your home. The National Electrical Code mandates a 15 ampere overcurrent protection device for protecting 14 gauge wires, 20 ampere OCPD for 12 gauge wire, and 40 ampere OCPD for 8 gauge wire.

Knowing the true load of a circuit is very important to how much more can be added and can only be obtained by an experienced person who has been trained in the in the electrical industry. To ensure the safety of the electrical wiring in your home hire a qualified electrician to calculate the load of the circuits and install the correct size overcurrent protection devices that are needed for your electrical system.
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