House I am in now, 40 year old Federal Pacific fuse panel. Whole row of pullouts and 4 rows of the "idiot proof" fuses.
Dryer fuse would occasionally blow. 30 amp cartridge on 8 AWG wire. (dryer on the other extreme of the house).
Downstairs watching tv one evening and I hear a buzz coming from the panel. Little investigation and I find the dryer pullout too hot to touch and the buzz is the arc from the buss to the fuse.
I heartily agree that fuses being the once and done kind of machine, seem to more reliably open a circuit, as long as arc flash hazards are taken into acount. But the problem I have seen is that the infrastructure holding them in place might be at the end of it's service life.
The FP went in the trash and a Sq D homeline now lives in it's place.
TW
