How To Look At A House

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What does over-fused mean?

Friday, March 26, 2021

Over-fused means that the amperage rating of a fuse or breaker exceeds the amperage rating of the wiring in the circuit, or exceeds the amperage rating by a manufacturer for an appliance on the circuit. The main purpose of a an overcurrent device is to prevent overheating when too much current is flowing through the wiring; so, when properly sized, it trips to disconnect the circuit before the hot wires start a fire.

    In ordinary residential installations, there are standard matches between copper wire size and breaker rating, such as 15-amp breaker and #14 wire, 20-amp and #12, 30-amp and #10, and so forth. Larger wires can carry more current. But special situations may require derating the wiring (upping to a larger size), and an electrician will know when these kick in.

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRICAL WIRING:

Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit?

Can a short circuit cause a high electric bill?

What is the maximum spacing requirement for securing NM-cable (nonmetallic-sheathed cable)?

Is it alright to just put wire nuts on the end of unused or abandoned NM-cable or wiring?

What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?  

What are typical aluminum service entrance wire/cable sizes for the electrical service to a house?

Why is it unsafe to bond neutral and ground wiring at subpanels?

Should I get a lightning rod system to protect my house?

Why is a strain relief clamp necessary for the cord connection to some electric appliances?  

Does a wire nut connection need to be wrapped with electrical tape?

What is the minimum clearance of overhead electric service drop wires above a house roof?

How dangerous is old electrical wiring? 

What is a ground wire? 

I heard that aluminum wiring is bad. How do you check for aluminum wiring?  

What is "knob and tube" wiring?  

What is the code requirement for receptacle outlets in a closet?

   Visit our ELECTRICAL page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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