Mnalep
Member
So I had a fuse getting hot. I think water got behind fuse box over the summer. I caulked to hole from the outside that was in the brick. Six months later the fuse felt hot. I saw corrosion in the fuse. I put in a new fuse, but that did not resolve. Then I saw the copper strip behind the fuse looked brown. I tried to 'clean' it with emory cloth - no help, plus a small round thing behnd the copper strip started to fall apart as I sanded. (I thought it may be an insulator of some sort?)Fuse made a crackle noise and sparked upon insertion, so I left it out. Well, I've left that fuse out for now.
The other fuses seem fine, not heat, no flickering lights.
If I pay someone to put in a new breaker box, what could that cost?
Is it something I could safely do myself, and what are safety precautions? (I've done switches and outlets and installed ceinling fans - but the box seems more intimidating and I'm not sure how to test for current there).
I also saw someone advertising an old box e replaced on craigslist that looks the same. Could I just swap out the 'fuse cartridge' from his to mine?
fuse socket on right vs on left that heated up. This is before I tried sanding that copper strip with emory cloth, and that round piece (I am guessing it is an insulator broke from me sanding in there).
new fuse on left, old corroded fuse on right shows brown on the inside. Also the back 'tip' had some balck 'burns' on it:
socket holder (upper right) after I tried to sand it, and the inner circle thing behind the 'browning' copper strip broke up. You can still seed the gray colored circular
?insulator? (or whatever that is) behind the copper strip in the fuse socket on the left:
More of the fuse box, showing the ''cartridge/plugs" for the 6 fuses that I thought might be replaceable if I get another box found for sale on craigslist:
The whole box:
And the boxes labeling:
Thanks for your advice,
Matt
The other fuses seem fine, not heat, no flickering lights.
If I pay someone to put in a new breaker box, what could that cost?
Is it something I could safely do myself, and what are safety precautions? (I've done switches and outlets and installed ceinling fans - but the box seems more intimidating and I'm not sure how to test for current there).
I also saw someone advertising an old box e replaced on craigslist that looks the same. Could I just swap out the 'fuse cartridge' from his to mine?
fuse socket on right vs on left that heated up. This is before I tried sanding that copper strip with emory cloth, and that round piece (I am guessing it is an insulator broke from me sanding in there).
new fuse on left, old corroded fuse on right shows brown on the inside. Also the back 'tip' had some balck 'burns' on it:
socket holder (upper right) after I tried to sand it, and the inner circle thing behind the 'browning' copper strip broke up. You can still seed the gray colored circular
?insulator? (or whatever that is) behind the copper strip in the fuse socket on the left:
More of the fuse box, showing the ''cartridge/plugs" for the 6 fuses that I thought might be replaceable if I get another box found for sale on craigslist:
The whole box:
And the boxes labeling:
Thanks for your advice,
Matt