Fuses Blow Again, Keeps Happening, Different Types

Do you keep blowing fuses in your home’s fuse box? You can consult with our local electricians in Mesa AZ free of charge. From air conditioner fuses to a clothes dryer blowing your fuses, our Mesa AZ electricians are expert troubleshooters that will be able to tell you why your fuses keep burning out and how to fix it.

Dolce Electric Co has staffed electricians Mesa AZ businesses and homeowners can call for free consultations about fuses blowing between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday thru Friday. Give them a call during regular office hours; you’ll be happy you did!

Why Do Your Fuses Keep Blowing?

The first thing that needs to be understood or asked is, “how do fuses work”?

A fuse is a deliberate point of weakness in an electric circuit. It is a safeguard that protects the attached wiring from carrying too much electrical current and overheating. When the maximum limit of current is surpassed the internal metal inside the fuse melts. This causes the circuit to open, or break, which stops the flow of electricity and protects the attached wiring from overheating.

When a fuse blows it’s always going to be a case of too much power trying to flow across the fuse and the attached wiring that the fuse is protecting. This overload of electrical power can be caused by different reasons however.

There Are 5 Possible Reasons Why A Fuse Continues To Blow:

1. The fuses being used are the wrong type:

There are numerous types of electrical fuses available and installing the correct type of fuse for use in the electrical circuit is important. Older fuse types, like the “type W” screw in fuse, are all but obsolete and should be replaced with newer dual element or time delay fuses. Never put in a bigger fuse to correct the “fuse keeps tripping” problem, you might burn your house down. If you need help selecting the correct fuse type, give our in-office electrician a call.

2. Overloading the circuit or protected wiring:

Homes that still utilize fuse boxes were built in a time before all of today’s modern electrical conveniences existed. Put another way, we use more electricity now than we did years ago and your electrical circuits may not be compatible with your needs. The solution is to either use less devices on the circuit of the house fuses that continue to blow or install additional power circuits to fulfill your needs.

3. Loose wiring connections in circuit:

Ever hear the phrase “electricity follows the past of least resistance”? Well, loose connections are resistance points that put an additional strain on the entire electrical circuit including the fuse. Older electrical systems are likely to have more loose connections than newer ones, especially if aluminum wiring is present. The solution is to tighten up all of the loose connections on the troubled circuit.

4. Short circuits:

One of the primary functions of a fuse is to shut down the flow of electricity, or blow, when short circuits happen. Short circuits can happen in your structural wiring or in devices and equipment plugged into the outlets which can also blow your fuses. In all cases, unsafe amounts of electricity flow across the fuse protected wire until the fuse is blown. Under this scenario, the fuse is doing what it was designed to do when it blows; it protects the wire. The solution is to find the short circuit and correct it.

5. Power surge keeps happening:

These are destructive and unpredictable bursts of electricity that can be capable of bursting a fuse. See our whole house surge protection page for further information.

What about upgrading to a circuit breaker box?

A fuse does the exact same thing that a circuit breaker does; it protects the attached wiring from overloading. Both devices protect the connected wiring from carrying too much power and overheating, but a fuse works on a chemical reaction where a breaker works on a mechanical response. A fuse is a onetime use device, meaning that once it blows it will need to be replaced. A circuit breaker can be reset if tripped. Both are safe but for convenience circuit breakers are the better choice unless a specific piece of equipment requires a specific fuse type. See our page about fuse box replacement for more details.

If you need further assistance give our in-office electrician in Mesa AZ a call. He will go through a few of the safe but important troubleshooting techniques with you that might clear up the issue over the phone. If onsite service is required our local Mesa electricians can be scheduled for prompt service, usually on the same day. Dolce Electric Co has staffed a local electrician Mesa AZ homeowners and businesses can consult with free of charge between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday thru Friday. Give them a call during normal business hours; you’ll be happy you did!