Part 18 (1/2)

A policeman uses his brain to tell him when to blow his whistle, but a fuse depends on the size of the little fusible (lass

If too great an electrical load is added to a circuit, this link will erous overload If you put in a fuse with too heavy a link, it will not ed

Therefore the right size of fuse is very i that you should check in your own hoht fuse for each size wire

Make a Circuit Chart

At one orthe fuses or breakers for the various circuits Attached to the inside of the door of each such panel should be a chart so like this:

[Illustration]

+-----+---------------------+-----------+ | No | Description | Fuse size | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | 1 | Range | 40 | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | 2 | Kitchen Outlets | 20 | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | 3 | Dining Room Outlets | 20 | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | 4 | Living Room Outlets | 15 | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | | | | +-----+---------------------+-----------+ | | | | +-----+---------------------+-----------+

Notice that in our chart we have made columns for a description of what each circuit serves, its number or position in the panel, and the proper size fuse for it

Because most such charts leave out this last very important bit of information, you should make a complete new chart, like the one shown

Provide as many lines as there are fuse positions Paste or tape it to the inside of the panel door

Then, ask permission of your parents to disconnect all the circuits by unscrewing the fuses or flipping the circuit breakers _Do not touch anything but the fuse rim_ Then reconnect them, one at a tihts as you can, to help you in your detective work Use a test laht connected to the each circuit on the proper line on your chart

On a separate sheet, keep track of the appliances and lights that are on each circuit, and add up the watts (If the naives ”amperes”, ”amps”, or ”A” instead of watts, just remember that amps times volts equals watts) This will tell you if any of them are overloaded Show this sheet to your parents

Check the Wire Sizes

_Disconnect the main switch_, and determine the size of the wires in each circuit Don't include the insulation in your h you have disconnected theinto it are still ”live” So, do not touch any wires Instead hold the wire size chart near thee each one is_

Write in the proper size fuse for each circuit on your chart

Replace Any Wrong-Size Fuses

Do the fuse sizes you have written on your chart agree with the ones that are in place in the panel?

Get the right size fuses and replace any that are wrong Make sure that you have a reserve supply of the right sizes, and that they are handy for future use

Talk it Over With Your Parents