Here is a question from one of our customers William who is looking to do some handyman work on the fuses in his home.
Question:
"I want to change my old fuses to circuit breakers. The old fuses are 36A, 30A, 16A and 20A. I can buy the 16A and the 20A, but Bunnings don't have the 36A or the 30A. They have a 40A and 32A. Also I put in a 3600W hot water service what fuse should be used in it?"
Answer:
"Firstly, thanks so much for your email. We are more than happy to help you out with some advice. You mentioned that you were sourcing the new circuit breakers from Bunnings and doing the work yourself. While companies like Bunnings make it so easy these days to do a lot of renovation, repairs and upgrades ourselves when it comes to your home's electrics we do recommend that you get an expert in to do the work for you. Below is some information that can be found around the web which explains why:"
The Types Of Circuit Protection For Your Home
Ceramic Fuses
Plugin Circuit Breakers
Hardwired Circuit Breakers
Residual Current Device (RCD)
Combination Safety Switches/Circuit Breakers
Summary
If your house has ceramic or plug-in fuses, then you really need your fusebox upgraded to the current standards, which must be completed by a licensed electrician. If you have older-style circuit breakers or a number of breakers connected to a safety switch, then it pays to replace them with combination switches (RCBOs) for greater safety and peace of mind and to reduce nuisance tripping.
You can read more here about when you should upgrade your switchboard: “How much does it cost to replace a switchboard“
The same advice also goes for your
Give us a call at The Plumbing & Electrical Doctor and one of our trained, licensed electricians can come out to give you the right advice. We serve areas in Newcastle, Canberra, Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens.