Do you know where to find the fuse box in your home? Finding and testing the fusebox is one of the day-one priorities on our home move checklist. Unfortunately, many people live in their homes for months without locating it. Then, when the lights go out at home, they’re left hunting in the dark instead of knowing where to go.
What is a fuse box?
A fusebox, also known as a circuit breaker box or a consumer unit, controls the flow of electricity around your home. Your home is connected to the UK’s electrical grid through a single point. The fuse box then distributes the electricity through your home on separate circuits.
There will usually be one circuit for lighting and another for the sockets in each room of your home. Each circuit is controlled by a switch, with a master switch that turns the electricity for the whole home on and off.
As well as allowing you to turn off the electricity in each room, or the whole property, your fuse box also protects your home from electrical surges. The ‘fuses’ in the name are electrical circuit breakers.
When your home experiences a power surge or if an appliance in your home short-circuits, these circuit breakers will flip, cutting the power. This protects your other appliances and devices from further damage and prevents electrical fires and other serious issues.
If the power in your home suddenly goes out, but only one room is affected, it means there is not a power cut. Instead, one of these circuit breakers has probably been tripped. When this happens, you need to find your fuse box to get your electricity up and running again.
Where is my fuse box?
Your fusebox is a flat, metal box, usually around 12-18 inches long. It will have a metal door covering the fuses and switches.
Fuseboxes are located in different places in different homes, but the most common spots are:
- In a basement or cellar
- In the cupboard under the stairs
- In a utility or hall cupboard
- Near the front door, possibly mounted near the ceiling
- In the garage
- In a shared hallway or on the landing in houses that have been split into flats
If you’re struggling to find your fusebox, look for your electricity meter as it will usually be nearby. Otherwise, check the inventory report for your home – the location of your fusebox should be marked.
How to find the fuse box in an old house
In older homes, the fusebox and electricity meter may be fixed to an exterior wall. Check the outside walls of your house, looking for where power cables from the street come into the property.
How to reset a fuse
Once you’ve found your fuse box, you’ll need to reset the tripped breaker to restore power. This usually means flipping the switch back on – look for one switch in the row which is in the opposite position to the other and flip it back.
This will usually restore power immediately. However, if the flip immediately switches back, there may be a more serious problem with the electricity in your home. In this case, turn off the electricity to the whole property using the master switch, then contact an electrician to inspect your wiring.
