penny in fuse box


  #1  
Old 01-15-04, 07:29 PM
glennia
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penny in fuse box

Just moved into a rent house and it had pennies in the fuse box. I replaced with fuse but am curious. What purpose was the pennies and what happens if you do that?? Wouldn't that overheat the wire??
 
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Old 01-15-04, 07:38 PM
hotarc
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That is an extremely dangerous way of replacing fuses. Unlike an actual fuse, which is designed to blow when the circuit is overloaded, the penny will continue to deliver current until the wiring melts. Good for you for replacing them. Landlord seems like he is really on top of things...
 
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Old 01-16-04, 05:14 AM
R
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Some people install pennies to keep the fuse from blowing. This is dangerous, as has been mentioned.

Whenever a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips, it indicates an overload. An overload, when you know the cause and learn how to avoid it is not a problem. For example, if you always blow a fuse when you vaccuum while the iron is heating up, you learn quickly to wait to turn the iron on until the vaccuum is off.

However, if you instead use a penny to keep the fuse from blowing you allow an overload to happen any time, and without your knowledge. Sure, you may know when you use the iron and vaccuum at the same time, but you don't know when a frayed wire shorts out. This might very easily lead to a fire.

Bottom line, if you continually blow fuses or trip circuit breakers and you can't avoid it bu using your electric devices differently, it's time for a new circuit or to split an overloaded circuit into one or more less crowded circuits.
 
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Old 01-16-04, 05:17 AM
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I'd get the town/city electrical inspector involved. Who knows what else may be wrong with the system?
 
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Old 01-16-04, 01:38 PM
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This is another time a picture would have been worth a thousand words. I find something stupid like this, take a picture to document it.
 
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Old 01-16-04, 04:01 PM
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Hellrazor,

I got another digi Camera just to keep in the truck for this purpose.
I have a separate file of all the violation pics I have.
 
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Old 01-16-04, 05:53 PM
hotarc
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Originally posted by Speedy Petey
....
I have a separate file of all the violation pics I have.
Would you be willing to post them? For some reason I love looking at shoddy electrical work. Or do you know of any good sites that show pics of code violations?
 
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Old 01-16-04, 09:08 PM
bungalow jeff
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Speedy Petey,

I'm with Hotarc, I think posting pics of violations may help some confused homeowners who are lead to believe old = messy or odd looking versus real dangers that home inspectors miss on a regular basis. Plus, I'm sure you have some real winners for us to gasp at.
 
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Old 01-17-04, 12:26 PM
J
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Originally posted by hotarc


Would you be willing to post them? For some reason I love looking at shoddy electrical work. Or do you know of any good sites that show pics of code violations?
Go to electrical-contractor.net . They some nice pictures of violations. The best one is dish soap bottle on the end of an extension cord that was floated in a pool.
 
  #10  
Old 01-17-04, 07:46 PM
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Check out the new thread I started. Electrical Violations Photos
 
  #11  
Old 01-20-04, 10:50 AM
HVACELECT
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once again another filthy slumlord attacks with their crappy ways.

Good job noticing them alot of people that rent don't notice anything but the paint and the flooring. Well I would be very leary of the whole house if he did it this way just imagine what is behind every outlet cover.

I once saw this and when I took the cover of the panel off I was shocked to see that t he whole house was basically spliced inro one 20 amp circuit


hey I rip "slumlords" these are the people that don't care about the tentanes but all they care about is the rent checks

once again GOODJOB
 
  #12  
Old 01-20-04, 11:11 AM
R
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Why are you blaming the landlord? It is more likely one of the previous tenants who put in the penny. Yes, there is an issue here that needs to be addressed in the proper manner by the landlord, but he needs to be made aware of the problem. Far too many tenants will simply fix it themselves rather than report the problem and wait for the Landlord to take care of it.
 
 

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