On Sun, 24 Dec 2006 07:36:00 -0500, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

There are two types of plug fuses used in houses, one has a metal screw on
it just like a light bulb, the other type, which is called fusestat or "S"
type fuse, has a ceramic screw and is thinner than the other type. This type
of fuse screws into an adapter, which in turn screws into the fuse socket on
the panel. These fuses need to be very tight in order to make contact, so if
this is what you have, have bubblegumdad try a little more elbow grease


I know someone with a fuse box. It has 3 30A fuses with Edison base
(like a light bulb) and 3 20A fuses of the other kind (I think they're
called 'restriction base'). The 20A fuses use that kind of base to
keep you from screwing the wrong kind in.


"bubblegummom" wrote in message
ups.com...
RBM,

My husband says he doesn't think we have a partial power failure coming
into the house because our hot water heater is working well.

We don't have circuit breakers, but fuses. It seems they are all
working....and we don't seem to have any junction boxes.

Thank you for suggesting banging on the outlets. We tried it but
couldn't get any flickering.

My husband says he thinks the problem is in the fuse box, which for
some reason is on our back porch, but he can't figure out what is wrong
or what is what.

The fuse box is a mess. If getting this fixed costs a lot of money, we
can't do it, and I hate having these extension cords run up the
stairway. This is miserable, thinking of having to live like this for
an extended period of time!

Thank you for your suggestions!

Loretta

RBM (remove this) wrote:
You need to determine how many lights and outlets are out, and in what
rooms. The purpose is to figure if this is an open to part of a circuit
or
is it a partial power failure coming into the building. If it only
involves
a few lights and outlets, yet all the circuit breakers are on and
functioning,(needs to be determined by opening the panel and checking
each
breaker with a tester) It is probably a loose connection in an outlet, or
at
a junction box. Sometimes you can find the location of this type of loose
connection by banging on each dead outlet, and each live outlet in the
vicinity of the dead outlets. When you bang on an outlet, if the lights
flicker, it may be the location of the loose connection




"bubblegummom" wrote in message
ups.com...
Last night our power upstairs started blinking, then went off for a few
seconds, then went off entirely. My husband has done what he can in the
fuse box but says it doesn't appear to be a fuse. Does anyone have any
suggestions or ideas of what might be wrong?