I've used them a little, hope they are reliable and safe. Although I'd put breakers in a new house, too.Īnd maybe you have an opinion about the fuse-type circuit breakers that you screw in to a fuse socket just like a fuse. The guy I bought the house from was a lifelong electric company employee, and he put in adequate service at the time. I have always found 100 amps more than I ever needed, with gas stove and heat. I know 200 amp service has become standard, but that is probably way more than a typical house will ever use unless it is all electric. I have no other 240v loads, and do not anticipate any. Still some old timers out here thinking: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Would like to stick with fuses. I know everybody uses circuit breakers now, but for the cost of re-doing the boxes, I could buy fuses for the next 100 years. I believe this is more than adequate for 20 amps on each line.īut I would suspect it would not be big enough if each line had to carry 40 amps. Second about the 10 AWD gauge copper wiring: Seems simple enough.īut the question I still have is about the fuses needed.Īm I correct in understanding that each hot wire will carry up to 20 amps of the needed 40 amps, and so I should install one 20 amp fuse on each hot line? If I am supposed to use 40 amp fuses on each line, I doubt the 10 AWD wiring would be adequate, leading to my second question: (The AC contractor will make the connection to the new AC unit). I will also bring a 10 AWD white wire to the AC disconnect box, and connect it to the neutral bus in the entrance panel. The distance from the service panel to the AC disconnect box will only be about 15 feet.įor the hot wires, I plan to wire one fuse socket from each side of the box with 10 AWD copper wire (one black, one red) two times 110=220 volts. See below for a second question about whether this wire is adequate for the current I will be drawing on this circuit. I will use thin wall metal conduit, and 10 AWD copper wire. So I want to use two of the upper 4 fuses, as a safety precaution against possibly wiring 40 amp service through wiring that is too small a gauge for a 40 amp circuit. In addition, there are 4 more fuse sockets for 110 volt circuits directly under the upper 4 in the main panel, connected with a large gauge wire, but, as the view of the connection is obstructed, I do not know what gauge it is. I want to use one from each side for the new 220 volt circuit. In the main panel, there are 4 fuse sockets for 110 volt circuits directly under the main fuses, two connected to each hot wire of the power supply from the electric company. The main panel also has a set of two 60 amp cartridge fuses labeled "main range," which control a sub-panel with 8 fuse sockets, all of which are in use, so I can't use for my new line. Two of these are the ones I would use to establish a 220 volt circuit. The main panel has a set of two 60 amp cartridge fuses labeled "main lights" that control all 8 fuse sockets in the main panel, not all of which are in use. The entrance panel is typical of the 1970s, and is similar to those pictured in many do-it-yourself wiring publications from that era. The electric service to the house is 100 amp service. The electric power to the house is three wire service, supplying 240 (220) volts total, two hot and a neutral, I believe, the latter of which is grounded to my cold water supply pipe. Specifically, do I put a 20 amp fuse in each fuse socket, one for each of the two hot wires? In other words, does 20 amps on each line give 40 amps total? Or do I need a 40 amp fuse on each hot wire?Īnd what gauge AWD copper wire would I use to carry 40 amps? (Length of circuit is only about 15 feet). The wiring diagrams I have seen do not give information about correct fusing to establish a 40 amp circuit. The panel had 220 volt circuits when I moved in, 30 years ago, one for the stove and one to a wall outlet for a large window AC. Due to the high cost of upgrading to circuit breakers, I want to wire the new 220 volt circuit to the existing panel. I have worked inside the panel before and am comfortable I know how to do so safely. I want to wire the circuit myself, and have found good wiring diagrams from reliable sources that even have pictures of my entrance panel, showing correct wiring. Specs for the outdoor AC unit call for a 40 amp, 220 volt circuit. I will be having central AC installed in an old home.
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