one section of the fuse box has a short??????

I have an old home,it has copper wireing and a lot has been replaced over the years but the fuse box is still the screw in type.
I recently have had a bedroom and my lights on the same breaker in the washroom go out?
I followed my step dads advice and took out all the switches one by one and checking with a light bulb screwed into the fuse box and now Im down to no outlets in at all and the bulb still lights up.
I also went into the attic and traced the wire and found no bare,chewed up wires at all anywhere up there?
Im at a loss on what to do next,could the fuse box be bad?
Any susgestions would be very greatly appriciated,
Thanks everyone,
Russell Pendergraft

 

The best thig to do is go easy early is there or was there power at the fixture before you disassembled the whole system? Was the fuse blown when this problem occured? Or did they just stop working? If the fuse was good when the lights went out then the problem is most likely a bad splice at or before the first fixture or switch? What else is on this same circuit (receptacles, more lighting)? Try to provide more info so we can help get this fixed.

 

Hi,thanks for the help Sparky,It all started with the fuse blowing,I have also installed all new light switches and recepticals too and still nothing.
The line has 2 recepticals,2 lights and 2 switches with a 30 amp fuse and worked fine until last month.
I hope this gives you some more info the problem,
Thanks,
Russell

 

You should NOT have a 30A fuse on this circuit, as it will not provide adequate protection. If that fuse is blowing, you definately have a short circuit. Look for pinched wires, scuffed insulation, loose wire nuts, etc.
Good luck!

 

Russell
At the risk of "piling on" the presence of that thirty ampere fuse tells me that the circuit was over fused and one or more cables is now faulted out. The insulation on some of the conductors has probably melted and that wire is now in contact with the grounded conductor or the cable jacket or equipment grounding conductor. Once the wiring has been that badly abused only a very careful examination of the entire circuit together with megohmeter testing by a competent electrician can assure that the circuit is safe to use. You have definitely passed the doityourself boundary line. If you do somehow manage to clear the present fault you will have set a random timer on the ignition of a fire of electrical origin.
--
Tom