Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

I’ve owned three homes in my life. The youngest was 41 years old when I moved in and the other two were both over 80. I chose all three based on a combination of affordability and character – I’m a sucker for period features like ceiling molding and solid-pine paneling.

Three years ago, I decided to finally bring my home into the modern age, in terms of its electrical distribution system. Gone was the 50-plus-year-old, 60-amp fuse box (yes, I said “fuse box”), along with the similarly low-capacity line from the pole to the house. In their place, a new 200-amp service line and breaker panel.

Up until three years ago, I lived with a couple small boxes of spare fuses that sat on top of the water heater in the basement, ready to be drawn from should the rare combination of, say, the toaster and microwave operating at the same time happen to shut down power to the kitchen.