For everyone in the UK, electricity is an extremely important part of daily life. From the moment you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed each evening, your family uses electricity to make your lives easier. Every home is connected to the electrical grid, allowing us to power our appliances and gadgets.
One of the most integral parts of every home’s electrical setup is the fuse box. Sometimes known as consumer units, these vital pieces of equipment are available at RS. Every home needs a consumer unit to use electricity safely and efficiently. Despite this, many people are unaware of what they do. In this article, we’ll look at what fuse boxes are used for and how to keep your family safe from electrical hazards.
What Does a Fuse Box Do?
A fuse box is the central hub of your home’s electrical system. Essentially, the power comes from the main grid and enters your house through the consumer unit. This is a metal box that contains lots of different connections, each powering an individual circuit within the home.
The outside of the consumer unit is covered, but it can be unlocked to access the circuits within. Upon opening, you’ll be able to see the main switch. This is used to turn the main electricity supply of your home on and off, and it’s useful to know where it is in case of an emergency.
Also located within the fuse box are residual current devices, circuit breakers and sometimes fuses. These detect increases in current, which may result in a dangerous situation developing. While large increases in current are rare, even small changes can result in damage to your appliances.
To prevent damage and reduce the risks of electric shock and fire, circuit breakers and fuses close the connection when the current passes a threshold. This is an automatic process, with no need for you to do anything. As a result, fuse boxes can keep your home safe and are an incredibly important part of the electrical setup.
Why You May Need to Update Your Fuse Box
Fuses have been built into homes for decades, but as the electrical demands of modern households have increased, our electrical infrastructure has needed to adapt. Today, we use far more electricity than ever, with a wide range of gadgets and appliances all drawing power every day.
Fuse boxes that were built in older homes are unable to safely cope with the significant power demands of most modern households. As a result, it’s important that you make adjustments if you have an older fuse box. This is especially true if you’re planning to add new circuits and sockets, for example, in a loft conversion or kitchen remodel.
Keeping Your Family Safe
Fuses and circuit breakers help keep your home and family safe from the dangers of electricity. While modern regulations ensure using electrical appliances is safer than ever, there are still some dangers to be aware of.
One of the most common causes of electrical shock or fires is poorly maintained equipment and wiring. If you want to keep your family safe, you should regularly check equipment to ensure it’s in working order. If something is damaged, avoid using it and replace it as soon as possible.
Another thing to watch out for is overloaded sockets. Although circuit breakers should kick in to prevent excess current, they can’t prevent your appliances and plugs from overheating when you overload sockets with too many connections. Avoid using multiple appliances from the same socket, especially if they draw a lot of power.