electricity problem

[RBM]

Excellent point. Unless your are testing the "load" terminal off of the fuse with an electrical tester, don't trust a visual inspection to determine if a fuse is good

[Mark Lloyd]

I know someone with a fuse box. It has 3 30A fuses with Edison base (like a light bulb) and 3 20A fuses of the other kind (I think they're called 'restriction base'). The 20A fuses use that kind of base to keep you from screwing the wrong kind in.

[RBM]

Yep, that's a fusestat, you screw a fusestat base into the socket, 15 or 20 amp, then only that size fuse will fit. The base is permanent, although there is a too to remove them. Problem with fusestats is they have to be tightened beyond what you would normally expect, or they don't make contact

[Joseph Meehan]

When the power comes into your home, you get three wires plus a ground wire.

Those three are two hots and a neutral.

Half your 120V outlets are on one of the hots and the others are on the other. All the 240V devices work from both hots and do not need a neutral. (Some uses need both 120V and 240V so they get four wires (two hots a neutral and a ground). The two hots are call legs or phases.

That is why it is likely that if half your devices are out, that it would likely be one phase out. That could be in your home or a problem with the supply. If only a smaller percentage like 10-20% are out, then it is likely a problem with your homes wiring.

[Joseph Meehan]

That certainly sounds like a single line is out. I am going to suggest professional help. There are just too many possibilities to try and instruct anyone without good knowledge of the subject to start with, to safely take on the project. However it is usually a very quick and easy project for the professional. I do recommend you have it checked as opposed to ignoring it. It is a possible safety hazard if left alone, although most of the time it would be safe.

[Thomas D. Horne, FF EMT]

If you are by any chance a dependent of a serving member of the Armed forces of the United States contact your nearest Home Depot, Veterans of the Foreign Wars (VFW), or American Legion Post. If you also live within two hundred miles of Washington, DC then reply back to me with the only words in the title being "service support."

[aspasia]

Hear, hear!

It took me nearly that long ownership to label every breaker in the f box, but now it's a lot easier to figure out what blew. Also to warn visitors not to plug a space heater, hair dryer, etc. into the same circuit as computer and room lights.

[Rick]

In two posts you've mentioned the fuse box is a "mess". What exactly do you mean (rusty, falling apart, front panel removed and wires sticking out, etc)?