How to seal an AC window kit and hose?

You need to map out what is on each fuse. To do that unscrew one fuse and see what doesn't work. Check lights and receptacles. Use a lamp to check receptacles. When you have mapped out each fuse then try to arrange things so one receptacle has very little on it. I don't recommend an extension cord but if you must use one use a 12 gage as short as possible. Note most round extension cords are 16 or 14 gage so you are going to have to look carefully to find one and you are going to be somewhat shocked by the price of a #12. Strictly speaking you could use a #14 but the #12 would give you a better margin, less voltage drop.

Your fuse box is old. probably installed when the building was built. The one for the apartment above is a modern breaker box added at a later time. That is why they are different.

No, you'd have same problem unless you added a circuit and constantly tripping a breaker due to overload could eventually damage the breaker or wiring.

It trips after half an hour because you are almost at the max and it slowly heats up till it is hot enough to blow.

Have you replaced the 20 amp fuse with a 15a? That is very important. Did you check the fuses were marked "TL"? How's the AC cooling?

 

Thanks guys. So there isn't a window close enough near the outlet that's near the living room doorway. I was reading online that you shouldn't use an extension cord with ACs, not sure why?


Ok I will map out the fuses tomorrow. AFAIK the whole living room is using the same fuse, so not sure if it would work with another outlet. I will try tomorrow to be sure.


I didn't replace the 20 amp yet, but just went downstairs to ask the guy who showed me the place before I rent it, and I saw he had two 15s, two 20 amps. I don't know much about electricity but does this mean that it's ok to use 20 amps?


No I didn't check the fuses for TL. So tomorrow I should do all these


I only used AC once today without the computer running and it seemed good. Since I never owned one before I am not sure if an AC can drop the room temperature below 20C? Like is it possible to have 15C?


I didn't go under 22C, even though one time it went back and forth between 22 and 21 rapidly and then stayed at 22C still. But if on a hot day, I can get it to 22C, that's good enough for me.




Cheers.

 

Because an a/c will turn a 16awg cord into a puddle or burning plastic and copper. If you must use an extension cord, do as Ray suggested and get a 12awg.

 

No, it probably means he's an idiot if those are wired with #14.

20-21c is generally considered comfortable and it should be able to keep the room that cold. 15c might be pushing it but down where I live we'd be looking for a jacket at 15c so we wouldn't usually expect an AC to go that low. You are keeping the door shut aren't you.

You are in a situation where you may have to choose between the lesser of two evils. While no extension cord is a good rule if you use #12* or at least #14* and keep it as short as possible you should be OK.

*The larger the gage (#) the smaller the wire and the less amps it can handle. The longer the wire the greater the voltage drop and when voltage drops amps increase.

 

No, and yes. 20A fuses should be used to protect circuits wired with 12AWG conductors. A fuse no larger than 15A must be used to protect circuits wired with 14AWG conductors.

Until and unless you know that a circuit is wired with #12 or larger conductors, you should only use a 15A fuse in each of the four fuse holders.

Absolutely. Provided, of course, that both the apartment and you survive until tomorrow.

Ray said, in post #38Immediately. Failing to change it to a 15A fuse could cause a fire.

Please buy and read Wiring Simplified, a.s.a.p. Apparently it is only available in English. Sorry.

 

Let me add that back when fuse boxes were used a 20 amp residential circuit was a rarity so when in doubt best practice if you can't check the wiring is to assume 15a.

 

I could be wrong here but it seems to me the bases on the 15 and 20 were different, one shorter maybe, where if you put a 20 where a 15 should be it wouldn't work/make contact?

Long time since I've seen one of those.

 

No they are both Edison base fuses. There are restricted base fuses where each size has a different diameter to prevent interchanging fuses. Often the restricters were added to Edison base holders at a later date but this doesn't seem to apply to the O/P's situation.

 

Hi guys, sorry for the late reply. I was busy at work. I couldn't find those fuses at canadian tire. Where can I buy those? I imagine they will be harder to find since very people use them nowadays I guess?

 

Hardware store is your best bet locally. Last resort an electrical supply house.

 

Thanks Ray, Home depot .com seem to have them but .ca site is broken for a while, doesn't let you to search. I will call them tomorrow to see if they have it.

Btw are there many different types of 15 amp fuse plugs? Here it shows TL and S:
Electrical - Breakers, Distribution & Load Centers - Fuses - at The Home Depot

You were saying slow timed?

 

Since Canadian Tire mostly resembles American K-Mart, there is no surprise you weren't able to locate WW2 era fuses. Mom and pop hardware stores or even big box Lowes or Home Depot should carry them since they are the typical fuses used.

 

This tech is old, but it's new for me

 

You need type TL Edison base.

 

Type TL is Edison base and Type S is Fusetat base. The Type S Fusestat base fuses are a retrofit that allow only the proper amperage fuse to fit in a particular base. Only 15 amp fuses will fit a 15 amp base for a 15 amp circuit. This was to prevent a homeowner from increasing the fuse size to 20 or 30 amps on a 15 amp circuit which used to be pretty common in older homes with fuse boxes.

 

I think this is what you are looking for: IDEAL MINI BREAKER 15 AMP Blue.

It is at least confusing that they label this screw-in, one-time fuse as a "Mini Breaker."

 

I haven't seen one of those mini breakers to fit a fuse box in 30 years! It's made in China which worries me, but I also used them many many years ago in a rental on a water heater circuit. They actually worked pretty well.

 

Thanks guys, I will get a TL base then. Btw Nathan, since you could use the website, I tried with IE and homedepot seems to work fine there, in chrome it always shows error code 500.

I don't know why homedepot calls them breakers.

That one in the seems to be the only one. It doesn't say if it's TL or S though.

Btw it also says you never have to replace it again. Does it mean this one doesn't blow?

And wow it's almost $8 for this old tech

I bet you guys don't have these in the States, right? I mean would be extremely rare I assume.

 

Because that is what they are. A fuse simply has a link that burns into. A breaker is a switch that opens when there is to much current flow. A switch that can be closed when the current is reduced. (Note that is a very over simplified explanation.)

By their very nature most breakers are time delayed so no need to have a designation. Besides TL applies to a specific type of fuse and these aren't fuses.

Not old tech. Is a modern breaker.

 

Breakers don't blow, they trip. If it trips, simply press the little white button to reset it.

 

Thanks guys, I did replace them now. But I thought if this happens again, I have to replace the ones that blows or explodes. Like in my older ones, I didn't have a button or anything.

 

As said comparing apples to oranges. One is a screw in fuse and one is a screw in circuit breaker. They work in two totally different ways though they both serve the same purpose.