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Joined: Jun 2004
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I moved into a new apartment. I was happy at first... receptacles 8' apart, all grounded, 2 colors (brown for baseboard, ivory for wall), grounds all pointing the same way (I won't tell which way ) But there is one problem... I kinda overlooked this one too... It still has fuses. I got a 60/40 main/range, and 4 (2x2) 20 amp circuits (wire is 12 gauge). Is there any type of reliable breaker with an edison base, or am I better sticking with fuses?
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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Nothing wrong with fuses. If you are blowing them you have bigger problems and if you aren't, who cares what they are? In most respects they are actually safer. Just be sure you always have the right sized fuse for the wire
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
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Make sure there's no pennies behind the fuses either
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 821
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One of the bad things about fuses is having to keep them in stock. Unless, of course, the circuit continually doesn't overload, short-circuit, or have any ground fault problems. I keep telling a close relative to update the service to avoid having to keep buying replacement fuses but nothing bad has happened, "yet."
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 456
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At least wehre we run fuses, I do my best to run the correct fuse(s) for the circuit, and not overload that circuit. In my running wth that regime, I have not overloaded fuses, except beacus of equipment or wiring failures.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445 Likes: 3
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Wait a sec.... fuses AND three prong receps?
Unless the place was done in pipe- where? the ground? I'd look at that issue a bit closer.
Another issue is the GEC. Fuse panels typically had only a "water bond." Worth looking into.
Now, YES, there are listed breakers available. Made by Mechanical Products, and sold through Buss, they are available in 15 and 20 amp sizes. They have full size bases- no "type S" adapter needed.
Some will read the code as not allowing for the use of these breakers- the NEC only mentions replacing fuses with fuses. In this case, that is WRONG. I madea proposal on this very issue, and it was rejected by the panel, with the explanation that the NEC DOES allow replacing Edison base fuses with these breakers.
While the breakers are not - last I looked- in the Buss catalog, they do exist. You might even find them at Home Depot, or a hardware store. Buss calls them out with part #'s CB-15 and CB-20, respectively.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,931 Likes: 34
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Reno, why don't yuou think fuses automatically means no EGC. My house in Md circa 1971 had a 200a fuse panel. We never blew fuses except for when I occasionally did something dumb (bolted faults). I may have used 2 or 3 in 15 years.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,498
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Yeah... if there isn't a severe overload condition, a pack of 5 fuses is enogh for years, if not decades. We've been living in a place with fuses for 4 years now, and we blew two fuses (floor sander starting current, somebody thought "if it's only 1.5kW it must be good to run on a 10A circuit... until I discovered the nameplate current of 11.5A running... and the startup draw blew the fuse).
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 482
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Hey reno, I know what you mean but I have seen grounding systems on fused panels. I just had to re-wire an OLD house in Laguna Beach that had a fuse panel, but what the original (maybe?) construction included was metal device boxes connected together by a seperate, bare #14 that eventually made it's way to a cold water ground. Down the road, apparently another owner changed out the 2-contact outles with 3-prongers, using the yoke-to-box bond as the ground. The ground actually checked out OK, but I would never trust it in my own house with my kids running around in it.
On the upgrade, I drove a rod and bonded to the new copper plumbing, and got rid of the fuses for obvious reasons, but I was surprised like you to see the house bonded at all.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 360
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My latest house had an early 60's build date. Ground rod outside, as well as wire to where the water pipe came in the house.
100 amp Federal panel, main, range, dryer, water heater and sewer pump, and then 15 edison circuits.
Outlets all grounded, just that the cloth covered wire had a really thin wire for the ground.
Replaced it when the dryer fuse got hot enough to burn the end off of the cartridge fuse without melting the link.
I think what our beloved Reno was saying is that a range/4 might be suspect in the grounding dept.
TW
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Posts: 61
Joined: August 2007
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