Fuse box mayhem

[squash500]

I just want to agree w/Tboy on this. If there is a problem with your electrical panel and/or wiring - which, given the sparks from changing a fuse - there certainly appears to be, it must be addressed NOW. Ignoring the fact that leaving it be could kill you (or others) if it happens again, I think your insurance might be voided as you had knowledge of a potentially dangerous condition.

You guys are right . I'm going to speak to the super on Monday. If he doesn't respond properly then I'm going to call the city of Toronto municipal standards officer. I already have the number from the ceiling complaint. Thanks for your help Moraff.

 

[Moraff]

You're going to have to stop doing that, people will begin to talk lol......

Don't worry, I'm sure a new topic will come up that we'll be in disagreement about before too long.

 

[squash500]

Here's the latest update . Today, an electrical contractor replaced my fuse box with a more modern circuit breaker box if that makes sense.

No more fuses except for 6 fuses on the top of the stove. Will this help my air conditioner to work better etc?

The Ec said that they only replace fuse boxes in the building on an as needed basis as it would be too expensive to change them all at once. Hopefully things will be better now. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks again for everybody's help in this matter!

 

[HAMSTER INSPECTOR]

Your better off with the breaker box.

While a breaker box serves the same pourpose as a fuse box, at least you had an electrician take a look at the situation. I am sure that he took a good look around the fuse box to see if there is any need for wiring to be changed.
The breaker box will not help you AC work any better, but it will be more convienient for you as you will not have to change the fuse every time the circuit breaker trips. If the circuit breaker on the AC power line trips often, try taking appliances off that line until the problem is solved. Imagine waking up on a cold cold winter night with flames all around you. Taking care of this problem may pay big dividends to you in the long run.

BTW How did you get the building management to move their asses on this matter? Did you threaten to expose the building owner as the panty stealer in the Laundry room?

 

[squash500]

BTW How did you get the building management to move their asses on this matter? Did you threaten to expose the building owner as the panty stealer in the Laundry room?

HI, the funny part was that I didn't say a thing. The super just called me on Friday and said that an EC will be changing the fuse box today. Out of curiousity, I asked the Ec his qualifications. He said that he had to apprentice for 9000 hours which took him 5 years . Therefore, I guess he knows what he is doing.

The whole job took him around 2 hours. He did tell me that if a circuit blew then the individual switch would be at halfway up. What I need to do if this happens is to turn it completely off by pulling the switch down and then pull it up to turn it on again.

HI, thanks again for your help. PS---I'm too afraid of my super to accuse him of panty stealing---lol.

 

[squash500]

Squash, I'm curious as to the power consumption of your air-conditioner. Is there a metal tag somewhere with it's ratings? Specifically I'd like to know what it's wattage, amperage and voltage (I'm assuming it's 115V, but just in case).

Data, it's a 6300 btu Danby a/c. Reading off the metal tags. 710 watts-------7.0 Amps-------115 volts. Does this help?

The new fuse box has 10 light switches. 8 light blue and 2 gray.

Data, I appreciate your help . Is this what you were looking for?

 

[Moraff]

Thanks, it is. Lower than I expected.

When the fuse blew the first time, what else beside the air-conditioner and computer died? i.e. TV, kettle, stereo, etc. I'm assuming the fridge is on a dedicated circuit.

Not necessarily a good assumption. Given the age of the building it's wiring may predate the requirement for a sep. circuit for the fridge.

 

[squash500]

When the fuse blew the first time, what else beside the air-conditioner and computer died?

D1960, the clock radio by my bed shorted and everything stopped working in one half of the apartment. Another thing that I later discovered. In hindsight, I should have had 4 15 amp fuses in the old fuse box.

When 2 of the 4 fuses sparked and burned here was the set-up. 2 15 amp fuses 1 20 amp fuse and 1 30 amp fuse . The ec was wondering about the 30 amp fuse. When he came today the old FB consisted of 3 15 amp and 1 30 amp fuse. I told him I thought the 30 amp was for the stove. He said no. I told him that the 30 amp fuse was in the old FB for 5 years and before I moved in.

He told me that the fuses for the stove were in the stove itself. I feel like such an idiot. Hopefully, I'll know better for next time as a serious fire could have started.

D1960, do you think everything will be smooth sailing from here? Could that 30 amp fuse have led to the sparks? The ironic thing was that the 30 amp fuse didn't blow? I can see why it takes 9000 hours to become an electrician. It's confusing stuff. Thanks again for everything!

 

[squash500]

When the problems occured, the fridge was still working.

 

[tboy]

Actually, there are fuses in the stove yes, but the circuit providing power TO the stove should be protected.....

I wasn't following this thread so I'm VERY happy to see the super did the right thing and took care of what could have been a life threatening problem.

I am also hoping the EC spent some time examing the existing circuit loads and divided them into more manageable circuits. Kind of sounds like he did now that there are 10 separate circuit breakers......

Unless I'm mistaken, the two light grey ones protect the stove circuit.....anyone able to clarify this? (I've seen 60 amp circuits protected with different coloured CBs before and this should be the case now but I'm not 100%...)

 

[HAMSTER INSPECTOR]

Color of the breakers do not matter.

The proper rating for the difference circuits are important. Most circuits are 120 volts 15 amps, the there may be 240 v 20 amp circuits for the stove and clothes dryer. Soemtimes there are special circuits designated for the air condittioning. at 120v - 15 amps. ( they may have a special 3 prong plug ) The color of the breakers vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and can vary by model of breaker panel and depending if it is a model used many years ago. I have also seen brand new but old in design panels and breakers installed in new installation. This is very common, and nothing to worry about. So breaker colors do not matter.

 

[squash500]

Unless I'm mistaken, the two light grey ones protect the stove circuit.....

You're correct . The ec wrote down that these two grey ones were for the stove.

 

[squash500]

If the new breakers start triggering, get a licensed electrician back in to have a look.

I will for sure . Thanks again for your help and also HI, Tboy and Moraff as well.

 

[dajodo2]

HAMSTER INSPECTOR provided some very good advice in this thread!

Glad your panel was modernized. Sounds like the electrician knew his stuff, I'm sure he took the time to make sure everything was balanced and secured. This is why people preach to always hire a pro for electrical work. I don't believe safety (i.e. fire) is going to be a concern going forward, so please don't worry.

Squash, I'm curious as to the power consumption of your air-conditioner. Is there a metal tag somewhere with it's ratings? Specifically I'd like to know what it's wattage, amperage and voltage (I'm assuming it's 115V, but just in case).

The breaker in your building's basement is designed to protect the conductors between itself and your panel. The fuses (now breakers) in your apartment are designed to protect the individual circuits within your apartment. If a fuse blew, it means that there was excess draw on that circuit (>1800 watts). Since your computer and air-conditioner both died (you mentioned half the apartment), you may have overloaded that circuit - don't worry, the fuse blowing is exactly what was suppose to happen.

This is why I'd like to know your AC's rating (some can be as high as 1500W), and can surge higher at start-up for a few seconds (that's why WhOiSyOuRdAdDy suggested the TD fuses). The computer can be 100-500W, add in a couple of lights and you are close to 1800W. If it happens again, before resetting the breaker, unplug your computer and try to find a plug that still works and leave your computer plugged into it going forward.

Since I believe the circuit was overloaded, this is why your new fuse immediately blew. There were sparks, (most likely) because the fuse wasn't fully seated as you screwed it in and the overload condition still existed. Fuses generally don't smell when blown, so I'm guessing that the wire was overheating and the insulation was beginning to melt. The smell is very strong and can linger for a while.

Please provide the AC ratings and we can confirm or deny my theory.





Not funny.

I wasn't trying to be funny.

My suggestions were genuine.

I wish him all the best.

 

[squash500]

I wasn't trying to be funny.

My suggestions were genuine.

I wish him all the best

I wasn't offended at all . Believe me if I could afford a better place to live than I would move in a heartbeat.

 

[HAMSTER INSPECTOR]

Dajodo,

Keep taking your meds and get a better personality.

My suggestions are genuine, I wish you the best.


H I.