how to test a house fuse

To verify that you have a blown fuse on hand, the first step is to locate the disconnect box. Thanks a lot. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. A reading of 00.00 ohms means there is (almost) no resistance, which you would expect from touching the leads together and from a good fuse. Step 3: If the wire is broken, replace it with fuse wire of the same amp rating. If it doesn’t trip again then the problem is too many things on one circuit, or a single appliance—like a portable space heater—that draws more current than the rating of the breaker. The rating ensures that the current can pass through the wiring safely. Most plugs will have a fuse inside them. L ocated inside or outside of your home is a fuse box that contains a fuse for each of your home's circuits. In the case of a short or overload, causing too much current to flow, the ribbon will melt and open the circuit. Ricardo has over 10 years of electrical and construction experience and his partners have over 30 years of relevant experience. Cartridge fuses come in a cylindrical shape and have contacts points at each end. If the fuse turns out to be good, you can use a circuit tester to trace the wiring path and find out what's gone wrong. If the multimeter reads "Open" or "Not complete," it means the fuse is broken. Step 5: If a fuse continues to blow after it has been re-­wired, check for faulty appliances by unplugged all appliances and plugging them in one by one after replacing the fuse. Using a test light to check a fuse that appears not to work but changing the connection to a positive source touching the same fuse and the test light goes on. Fuses provide protection against overloading, short circuits, or device load, etc. Timothy Thiele is an electrician who advises residential DIYers on how to make home installation projects safe and easy. Plug fuses control 120-volt circuits that normally feed lighting and receptacle loads throughout your home. How To Test A Fuse Using A Multimeter? By setting the selector switch to ohms and setting it on a lower range, you can test the resistance between the two points of the fuse. We can check the fuse visually to see if it's broken or we can do an electrical test on the fuse using a multimeter to see if it's good or blown. If a fuse blows does that mean there's problem with the amp? This will measure the resistance of the fuse link, if intact. Testing a ceramic fuse is the only way to tell if the fuse has blown. Plug fuses screw in and come in 15, 20, and 30-amp ratings. ", "I wasn't sure how to test my household's cylindrical fuses, you showed my how. % of people told us that this article helped them. Grab a multimeter and select the continuity or resistance setting. ", http://electrical.about.com/od/panelsdistribution/a/cartridgefuses.htm, http://www.edmunds.com/how-to/how-to-inspect-and-replace-automotive-fuses.html, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-multimeter.htm, проверить предохранитель с помощью мультиметра, Mit einem Multimeter eine Sicherung prüfen, मल्टीमीटर से फ्यूज टेस्ट करें (Multimeter se fuse test karen), consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can probably find a fuse box in an older home, but it really should be replaced with a circuit breaker panel for safety’s sake. A blown fuse may be discolored, cloudy, or have a melted or broken metal piece inside. Watch for … The older type fuses have a brass screw thread on the side and a center contact point. With the ignition switch in the ON position, touch or clamp the black test lead to a good known ground. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. There are two basic types of cartridge fuses available, so it all depends on the age and size of the house. Remove the Plug Fuse. Here is the part on how to test a fuse. Open the door of the service panel and see if a circuit breaker is tripped (or a fuse is blown). Prepare the Multimeter. This article has been viewed 712,848 times. It only allows the appropriately sized fuse to be installed, unlike the old style that you could install a 30-amp fuse in a 15-amp socket. Manually test the breaker first. It won’t burn off … There are 2 tests we can use to check to see a fuse is good or blown. If the fuse is good, the test light will light up on both sides of the fuse. Cars and older homes that don’t use modern circuit breakers use fuses to prevent damage from electrical surges. Place the fuse on a non-conducting surface such as wood, laminate or plastic. It's big brother, the knife-blade cartridge fuse, is similarly shaped with blades on each end. It is usually grey in color and mounted near the outdoor AC unit. Lay the rubber mat on the floor in front of the fuse box and stand on it. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e1\/Test-a-Fuse-With-a-Multimeter-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Test-a-Fuse-With-a-Multimeter-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e1\/Test-a-Fuse-With-a-Multimeter-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid650234-v4-728px-Test-a-Fuse-With-a-Multimeter-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"