In article . com,
"bubblegummom" wrote:

Basically the same things are out that would be out if a fuse blew but
it's not a fuse, so my husband thinks it might be a problem in the fuse
box, but he can't find it.

A (presumably) free service call by your local electric utility might reveal
the trouble. It's entirely possibly and even somewhat likely that the trouble
is THEIRS. A "leg" of their power (one of the two "hot" wires coming to the
house) may be out. This is NOT uncommon. Call them.

I started a different thread and wanted to continue with it,
but can't find it now.

Usenet is like that. For some, that's part of the fun. grin

Anyway, my husband is afraid that if an electrician tried to
find the problem, he would want to replace the fuse box.

You can be SURE he would. That's his job and livelihood.

Can a fuse box be replaced with a circuit breaker box?

Yes, it is done frequently.

We have old style wiring (very old) and my brother says it would be
hard to get it to work with a circuit breaker box.

With all due respect, he's wrong. It's done all the time.

How much money would an electrician likely want to change
the box if it can be changed?

$400-500. That's a VERY rough GUESS. It could easily be more.

Our fuse box is on the back porch. Is that a problem?

Maybe not. It sounds like yours is an old farm house. Fuse boxes on the back
porch are very common in such cases. Often, when these places are completely
rewired, the service entrance (circuit breaker panel) is moved to a "better"
place, usually on the inside of an exterior wall of the main house, usually in
the basement/cellar, if there is one.

Again, call the power company and tell them you suspect "one of the 'legs' of
your power is out". They can check for that quickly and will probably NOT
charge for the call. Also, check those places I recommended previously:
United Way, the local farm store or church. An accomplished amateur can
probably isolate the trouble (determine exactly what the trouble is). They
may even be able to properly (if not legally) fix it cheap. However, a
licensed, professional electrician is your *BEST* choice. Good luck.
--

JR