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From: dcm@dmcnh.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Electrical Service Query
Message-ID: <138@dmcnh.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-Aug-84 10:53:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: dmcnh.138
Posted: Fri Aug 31 10:53:40 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Sep-84 04:48:31 EDT
References: md!wmartin    or    wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA <4318@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: Datamedia Corp, Nashua, NH
Lines: 51


>I have 60-amp cartridge fuses in carriers
>on the fuse panel where the electric lines come into my house. One
>of these carriers (which hold two fuses each) controls the line
>that is subdivided through a fuse panel to feed the household wiring.
>The other carrier controls the line that goes to an outlet for an
>electric stove, which we don't use, having a gas stove installed.
>
>So, all in all, there are four 60-amp fuses, one for each side of two
>lines. Do I have "60-amp service", "120-amp service", or "240-amp
>service" with this set up?
>
>When we use both a 220-volt window airconditioner and an electric
>dryer, we are constantly blowing one of these 60-amp cartridge fuses.
>I believe this is because the rest of the house wiring is installed
>"lopsidedly" -- all the heavy loads (freezer, dehumidifier, refrigerators,
>kitchen appliances, etc.) hung off one side of the main line, and
>the other side having only simple lights, clocks, radios, etc., and
>when the two major 220-vold loads draw power from both sides of the line, 
>the one side is over-strained when a refrigerator compressor or something
>kicks on.
>
>I realize that this imbalance can be corrected by having an electrician
>swap some circuits in the distribution fuse panel. However, the fact
>that the cartridge fuse blows makes me wonder if the electrical service
>to the house is adequate. If this service is somehow currently divided
>between the whole-house wiring and the unused stove wiring, can the
>circuit now going to the stove outlet be used somehow to take some
>load off the other portion? Or would the wire leading into the house
>have to be replaced, and the 60-amp fuses and panel be replaced with
>larger fuses or circuit breakers?

If you really can draw 60 amps from each pair of fuses, you have 120-amp
service.  It is possible that the stove is really downstream from 
the other fuses, in which case your service is only 60-amp and you 
will probably have to install new service from the street. It is also
possible that the wires coming into the house are not really designed
to take the load of both pairs of 60-amp fuses simultaneously.  The
wire size from the street is really the determining factor in the size
of your service.

You might be able to get the fuses to stop blowing by re-arranging
the distribution of your circuits, but 60-amp service is not really
large enough for the modern house's electrical requirements.  If you
really have 120-amps, you can probably get by with that, but you will
still have to get your box re-wired or replaced.

			Dave McCracken
			Datamedia Corp., Nashua, NH.
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