It’s a nuisance when you have to repair a blown fuse. That’s because that problem can cause other electrical issues.
However, fixing blown fuses by yourself can be dangerous. Many people try to do that by themselves after watching tutorials online. Yet, we don’t recommend you do that unless you want to have a bad and possibly shocking experience.
You can fix a fuse that has blown by yourself in some cases. However, it’s essential to know how to do it. We recommend you always call an experienced electrician to visually inspect your fuse and determine what happened. They can address the situation and avoid any further problems.
Why Do Fuses Blow?
If you want to fix your house’s fuses, you first need to know what happened to them in the first place. It’s difficult to know if it was an issue with the fuse panel or a tripped circuit breaker. That’s the reason people call a professional electrician when they have that sort of problem.
We are here to help you! Keep reading this page if you want to learn the main reasons why fuses may blow and how to fix them! Regardless of that, take into account that some problems can only be solved by an electrician.
1. Faulty Wiring
Damaged wiring can cause you a lot of trouble. It can harm your electrical system, the devices plugged in at the moment, and other things. When a fuse blows, many people think it’s a problem with the fuse box or the circuit breakers. That’s because those problems are a common occurrence to most homeowners with older electrical systems.
Modern electrical panels work differently, so you have to differentiate when a hot wire causes trouble from when you have a problem with actual fuses.
Wiring problems can come from loose connections, an encased wire, or a ground fault.
Solution
If you notice a damaged neutral wire, you need to call a licensed electrician to fix it. Trying to replace it yourself is extremely dangerous. However, the real challenge here is noticing you have damaged wiring. You can do that by checking if the outlets are hot or if you see smoke or notice an odd smell at your home.
[Related: What Happens During Main Service Panel Inspections]
2. Problem with Circuit Breakers
If the breaker trips, the circuit breakers automatically shut the electricity flow to prevent any power shortage or a problem with the electrical system or other circuits.
Solution
When this happens, you just have to reset the breakers. However, check if there is any visible damage to the circuits in the fuse boxes. If the problem causes a fuse to blow, you need to replace it and fix all the problems with the fuse panel before resetting the breakers.
3. Overloaded Circuit
This happens when an outlet is overused. The problem can get worse if the plugin in that outlet uses a lot of energy. That can overload the electrical circuit and blow your fuses.
Solution
Make sure there’s not an individual appliance using a lot of energy at all times. If there is much power overloading in a single circuit, you can cut that power source or reduce the energy usage on it. Additionally, unplug what you are not using.
4. Short Circuit
When someone says there is a short circuit or electricity short, it means there was an electrical fault. Short circuits represent problems and faults with the main circuit or other circuits in your house.
Many things can cause this problem. However, it mostly happens because the current flow in your power source exceeds the fuse’s amp rating. In other words, the electrical current goes beyond or strays from its intended path.
Having this problem with the current flowing can cause severe issues. For example, it can destroy the electrical device you were using or damage the outlet to which it was plugged.
Solution
The first thing you should do is disconnect the electrical devices you were using. That includes the air conditioner. Make sure the socket is not damaged. After that, see if there is any problem with the fuse panels and their internal switches. If you find a destroyed fuse or something like that, call an electrician.
5. Damaged Electrical Outlets
Damaged outlets can cause considerable harm to your house’s fuses, so those outlets may be blowing your fuses and causing other issues with the wires.
Solution
Don’t get close if you notice damaged electrical outlets. Having direct contact with them can harm you. When this happens, call an electrician to replace the outlets, replace fuses, and check if there are any other problems in your household.
[Related: The Quick Electrical Troubleshooting Guide]
Who to Call When You Notice a Blown Fuse
There’s no need to panic because of a blown fuse. These issues happen all the time, so you just need to find the right way to fix them. That prevents any power shortage or issue with other blown fuses in the future.
Regardless of that, many people try to fix every blown fuse by themselves without consulting with their electrician. Some of them succeed, but others receive serious damage because of what they tried to do with the fuse.
If what happened was that a wrong fuse was installed, you can replace it by yourself. Yet, sometimes what happens is a little more complex like that. Things such as a wiring problem or a replacement of old fuse boxes can’t be done by yourself. Make sure to call an electrician to help you address all those problems.
When a fuse blows, you can always count on Assurance Electrical Services. Call us as soon as you notice any problem with a fuse or anything related to that. We can make an electrical inspection and give you a quick diagnosis of what happened. You can trust our expertise and rely on our services.
Contact us if you need us to check the wires, start building codes, or just fix a blown fuse. We are here for you any time you need us!
Do you have any questions about blown fuses? Leave us a message in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you!
Jeff Brandlin is the founder of Assurance Electrical Services, LLC. He started in the electrical industry when he was 21 and had worked in several electrical firms before founding Assurance Electrical. Jeff is dedicated to providing the best quality service to his clients and always puts their needs first. Outside work, Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and children.
