Electricians are responsible for installing new electrical infrastructure, while keeping the wiring and equipment in existing buildings and power grids in top condition. Since modern society depends on electricity to operate, the electrical profession can be very rewarding. According to the US Department of Labor, the average annual wage for electricians in 2016 exceeded $56,000, and in specialized sectors such as oil and gas it is even possible to make a six-figure income. Emergencymelbourneelectrician.com.au is a company with years of experience providing high-quality 24 hr electricians Melbourne, wiring and cabling for Melbourne homes and businesses alike.

This article will provide an overview of the process required to obtain a master electrician license in the USA. Keep in mind this is a general overview, and there are specific requirements that vary by state.
Step 01 – Meet the Minimum Requirements to Receive Training

The electrical profession requires ample training to learn about its technical aspects and construction practices, while gaining awareness of the risks it involves. However, the following requirements must be met before embarking on the learning process:

• A minimum age of 18.
• Obtaining a high-school diploma.
• Passing an aptitude test.
• Passing a substance abuse test.

Step 02 – Receive Training as an Electrician Apprentice

If you meet the minimum requirements you can start receiving training to become an electrician, and generally there are two paths available, which take from 4 to 5 years.

Apprenticeship programs are normally managed by electrician trade unions or the government, and you are trained in the electrical trade by working under the supervision of licensed electricians. This is a “learning by doing” approach with relatively little classroom learning, where you start with basic tasks and are given more responsibility as you acquire knowledge and experience.

Trade schools provide an approach with a higher focus on classroom learning, where you are then required to work for a minimum number of hours that is specified by state.

Of course, a mixed approach is also possible: many electricians start in trade schools and then complete the required work-hours in apprenticeship programs. Keep in mind that there are many sub-fields in the electrical trade; for example, working on residential installations is very different from working on transmission and distribution lines. If you would like to specialize in one area, it is recommended that you look for an apprenticeship with a company that works in that business sector.
Step 03 – Become a Journeyman Electrician

Regardless of whether you entered an apprenticeship or attended a trade school, you will eventually become eligible to take the journeyman electrician test. The requirement is completing an apprenticeship, or the combination of a trade school program and a work-hour quota. You become a Journeyman Electrician after passing the test.

After becoming a Journeyman Electrician, you can legally work in residential, commercial, industrial and utility settings, either as an independent technician or as a contractor’s employee.

Although Journeyman Electricians hold a license, there is a higher qualification available: the Master Electrician License. If you earn one, your professional field broadens and you can also expect a higher income.
Step 04 – Obtain Experience as a Journeyman Electrician

Becoming a Master Electrician just after becoming a Journeyman is not possible, since there are work experience requirements before being eligible for the test. However, Journeyman Electricians have much more options than apprentices with regards to their work, and their license gives them independence.

An Electrical Engineer may also be eligible for the Master Electrician test, depending on the type and amount of experience he or she has accumulated.
Step 05 – Obtain a Master Electrician License

Once you are a highly experienced Journeyman Electrician, you become eligible to take the Master Electrician test. Keep in mind, however, that there may be state-specific requirements to meet. Master Electricians can charge more for their services due to their experience and qualifications, and are also allowed to become contractors, starting their own company and hiring other electricians.

Pink Slime (and its “buddy” White water mold) is a newer problem facing swimming pool owners over the past 10 – 20 years. They are naturally occurring and are caused only by a lack of proper pool maintenance and water chemistry. In fact, even non-pool owners struggle with the pink slime in bathrooms, kitchens, and washrooms. Ever notice that pink ring around the basin? That’s pink slime. With our swimming pool removal Sydney service, we can bring back a garden or play area that once existed in your yard.

Let’s define what pink slime is. Pink slime is a naturally occurring bacterium (of the newly formed genus Methylobacterium). Pink Lime is NOT a form of Algae, it is animal not vegetable. It is pink- or red-pigmented and forms a heavy, protective slime coating which provides the organism with an unusually high level of protection. Pink slime consumes methanol (a waste gas) and it is oftentimes found WITH White Water Mold. This organism is very resilient and resistant against halogen-based (chlorine or bromine) as well as non-halogen sanitizers or germicides and can remain a contaminant even after treatment.

Although initially found in swimming pools being treated with biguanides (Baquacil, Soft Swim, Polyclear, etc.), it is now seen in any and all swimming pool environments. This is NOT a biguanide problem ONLY nor is it CAUSED by the use of biguanides.

The pink slime bacterium has an affinity for the matrix that exists on the surface of PVC plastics; it will attach itself to & inside of the matrix, allowing it to re-contaminate long after it appears that it has been seemingly “destroyed” (includes pool toys, floats, ladders, steps, fountains, automatic pool cleaner parts, skimmer baskets, weirs, directional fittings, garden hoses, etc.). Small quantities of pink slime can lead to a re-establishment of the problem. It is caused by improper water & pool maintenance, environmental factors and poor circulation. Pink slime prefers areas that are “dark” (not exposed to direct sunlight) & with “slow moving” water. In another industry, medical technology, this bacterium occurs regularly in laboratory tubin.

Look for pink slime under ladder treads, behind the skimmer weir, on the undersides skimmer baskets, pool directional returns, underwater pool light niches and light housings. If you find that the pool just isn’t holding chlorine, bromine, or even hydrogen peroxide used in biguanide treated pools, look for pink slime.

After regular tracking of homeowners swimming pools affected by pink slime, here are some commonalities:

Many, but not all, affected pools have “smaller (under) sized” cartridge filters. (i.e. using a 75 sq ft filter on a 24 ft Rnd aboveground pool or a 90 sq ft filter on a 15 x 30 inground pool).
Affected pools get 6 hours or less of direct sunlight on the pool surfaces.
Pool owners always leave the solar blanket on AND don’t chemically clean the blanket the recommended 2 times per year to remove the accumulated biofilm.
“Shocking” or oxidizing of the pool water is not done with the recommended label instructions. For example, rather than shocking the pool every week or two, that task is neglected because the water “looks fine.”
Rainy pool seasons see a dramatic rise in the cases of pink slime.
Customers regularly add fresh water from their tap without letting the hose-water run for a couple of minutes (the pink slime is already present in the garden hose and is transferred to the pool).
Pools with sand filters are not changing the sand every 2 to 3 years AND not chemically cleaning the filter sand 3 times a season (once every 6 to 8 weeks).
Newer observation: Most of the affected seem to use publicly treated drinking water. Pools filled with well water appear to be not as severely affected.
Affected pools are not as fastidiously maintained chemically (water balance, use of borate additives such as BioGuard Optimizer Plus or Proteam Supreme, regular shocking), as clean pools.

Another observation is that many water companies across the country, in partial response to “consumer calls” to “get rid of chlorine in the drinking water” are now using mono-chloramines to treat the water (over the past 15 to 20 years). Mono-chloramines do an essentially good job at treating pathogens in the drinking water, however, some of the non-pathogenic organisms may indeed be getting by. Unfortunately, there is only experiential or anecdotal evidence.

Prevention of “pink slime” is preferred over treatment. Follow these steps to help prevent pink slime:

1. Physically brush & clean ALL Pool surfaces weekly, including ladder steps (especially underneath each step) & rails
2. Expose ALL pool surfaces to as much sunlight as possible (sunlight & UV are natural oxidizers)
3. Remove the lid from the skimmer to allow sunlight into the basket for several hours each day ** INGROUND POOLS MUST USE EXTREME CAUTION in doing this in order to avoid a person falling into or otherwise injuring themselves due to an open skimmer.
4. Regularly add oxidizing chemicals into the skimmer to purge & clean the filtration lines of any bio-film (use extreme caution if doing this. Add chemicals slowly and remove ANY and ALL objects, including slow dissolving chlorine tablets or sticks, to avoid a potential chemical reaction such as explosion.
5. When adding make-up water from the garden hose, allow the water to run for 2 to 3 minutes before putting the hose into the pool.
   Regularly clean pool toys & floats (use BioGuard Stow Away acting as a mildewcide)
6. Regularly clean pool solar blanket (use BioGuard Stow Away)
7. Chemically clean the pool filter every 4 to 6 weeks (use Strip Kwik, Kleen It or Soft Swim® Filter Cleaner). This is a very important step regardless of the filter type; sand, DE or Cartridge.
8. Add regular Maintenance dosages of “Shock” & Algicide every 1 to 2 weeks as prescribed (3 to 4 weeks in bguanide pools).
9. Use borate products such as BioGuard Optimizer Plus as a preventative measure (borates, when used properly at a rate of 50 – 80 ppm, allow the sanitizer to sanitize rather than sanitize and prevent algae growth).
10. Run the filter a minimum of 12 hours daily to prevent “dead spots” in the pool.
11. Remember to clean & rinse the brushes, hoses & vacuums that you use to clean the pool
12. Leave as much of your pool equipment exposed to the sun (sunlight is a natural oxidizer)

Keep the water balanced at all times. Recheck after heavy usage or rain or large “top-offs” of new water. Water balance refers to Free Available Sanitizer level, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness.

Treatment of “pink slime” MUST BE QUICK AND TOTAL! DON’T SKIMP!

Clean all pool & affected surfaces as prescribed above.

Physically clean & remove all visible “pink slime”

Add an initial dosage of algicide to the pool

“Shock” the pool with a triple or quadruple dose

Run filter 24 hours daily until water is clear & halogen or peroxide levels are maintained at a “higher” level

Chemically clean the filter. Simple rinsing or backwashing of the filter will not remove the greases, oils & other accumulated contaminant from the filter and filter tank.

Have the pool water professionally tested & analyzed. Look for a pool company that knows what they are talking about and isn’t afraid to tell you the truth about problem.

Maintain Optimizer Plus (or other borate product) levels

Maintain good water balance of pH, Total Alkalinity & Calcium Hardness

The longer that you allow the pink slime to remain, the more difficult it will be to cure.

http://www.parpools.com

http://www.parpools.com/BioGuard-Pool-Chemicals.html

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Reliability, hiring and termination costs are persistent problems in the electrical contracting industry. Thorough screening, testing and interviewing techniques can help prevent reliability issues. The question is, do you have time to do all of these things and maintain focus on the job site? If you deal with Sphere Electrician Northcote you will be definitely satisfied with the quality of electrician’s work.

First review a list of functions your company must do to hire, maintain and retain an employee. Place a cost on each item using the time value of the person who must handle each separate item. For example and simplification, your office manager earns $15.00/hour and spends a half-hour a day dealing with employee issues. The time value is $7.50 to perform that function. Do this for each item listed below and come up with a daily total amount. Divide the total by 8 and determine if you are performing the functions cheaper than the staffing company can. Most electrical contractors can not because they are set up operationally, not administratively.

If you need a guideline to compare costs, most staffing companies charge a very small amount on top of each hour billed; use 5-7% as a general rule. Keep in mind this includes all labor burden costs including state/federal payroll taxes, worker’s com, liability insurance, payroll processing, etc (see list for the rest).

Outsourcing your human resources function eliminates the need for:

Placing job ads, handling phone calls from ads, processing job applications,checking references,performing criminal background checks, scheduling and paying for drug testing (if required), scheduling and conducting interviews, controlling Worker’s compensation insurance costs, maintaining liability insurance on employees, paying for office staff human resources training,
employee handbook development, safety program development, administration and injury reporting, payroll administration, mailing checks and setting up direct deposit accounts, payroll tax accounting – weekly payroll and annual mailing of W-2’s,
time tracking of field employees (electricians), offering and administering health and savings plans, worker’s compensation claims processing, processing unemployment claims, handling court ordered garnishments, paying attorney’s fees if a suit is filed against your company, addressing and processing NLRB issues, dealing with and paying for other post-employment obligations (wrongful termination suits, HIPPA notifications, etc)…and all of the other time consuming costs not mentioned above that chew into your bottom line!

What many electrical contractors do not take into consideration is the amount of time away from production and the amount of time their office staff devotes to recruiting, hiring and maintaining each employee on the payroll. This is a variable cost outsourcing labor solves.

Going back to the numbers, variable costs are costs that can be varied flexibly as conditions change; like the number of electricians you need to carry on your payroll at any given time. The point made here is that labor is a much more flexible resource than capital investment. Outsourcing labor provides you and your staff with freedom away from time consuming human resource functions. The time you save is better spent marketing, dealing with customers, suppliers, and focusing on the work at your project site.

Spend time to add up the time and cost of the listed functions involved in hiring and retaining electricians. Ask a staffing company to provide you with a cost breakdown of their hourly charge for each electrician’s skill level. Keep in mind staffing companies cover all the costs you would and charge a nominal account administration fee (the fee is normally much less than what companies spend on the list of HR functions). Compare the costs. Remember to consider the intangible benefits of reduced liability, time savings and increased freedom to focus on your customer.

Most contractors will agree that for any given electrical contracting project, outsourcing is cost effective. One key point that must be emphasized is outsourcing labor is not a “one size fits all” solution to controlling variable costs. Businesses that are comfortable where they are do not make good candidates. On the other hand, a business that wants to grow while maintaining tight control over variable costs makes an excellent fit.

We can never predict when an employee will decide to leave a company but, we can control what it will cost to replace that person using effective outsourcing strategies. Keeping the right mix of permanent and temporary employees is the key to controlling the priciest variable costs in our industry – labor. Outsourcing electricians allows you to control variable costs that are discussed in the next few paragraphs.

As you are aware, variable costs are the costs directly linked to the tempo of operations in electrical contracting. They are called variable because they vary with the size and workload of the business. This means that the more projects bid and won; the more labor, material, etc. costs will rise. The more labor costs rise, the more employee-related administration costs go up.

This, of course, is in contrast with fixed or overhead costs. These costs are those that are incurred regardless of whether or not your company works one or ten projects. These costs do not vary as the pace and size of your operations change unless a dramatic change is made. Variable costs are project specific, whereas, fixed costs are associated with the entire company. Office leases/mortgages have to be paid no matter what is produced or in what numbers. Hence rent or a mortgage is a fixed cost.

Consider a situation where you determine your electrical contracting service yields a 25% contribution margin. Your figure can then be used to determine whether variable costs for your project(s) can be reduced. You can choose to bump up the price of materials and/or reduce your labor costs.

Material pricing adjustments is the easy part. Labor costs are not. To attract and retain quality electricians, you must pay more than the competition, offer benefits and training.

Remember your bottom line or net profit is determined by how you decide to spend each penny of your contribution margin on fixed costs. We know you can control your fixed costs by deciding on how much to spend on vehicles, equipment, tools, phone service and all the rest of your business needs

But, what is the true cost to attract, hire, manage and retain a qualified electrician for a three month project and what is the cost to hire a permanent/full-time employee? You probably know the answer, the cost is the same. It is the replacement cost of the employee that will eat into your bottom line after you conduct all of your human resource or human capital management functions in-house. And what price do you place on the expenditure to bring someone new into your company? And what does it really cost to replace that person? The answer is simply the cost of time – your time, your staff’s time and all time removed from project related activities.

Learn more about outsourcing electricians [http://www.strategy-construction.com] at Strategy Construction’s Web Site.

Mike Widner is Director of Strategy Construction Company in Colorado Springs, CO. His background is in manpower management and human resources management in the construction industry. Over eight years, Mike performed several personnel realignment projects for the US Air Force and currently focuses on helping electrical contractors control labor costs using outsourcing techniques.

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If you own an older home and are thinking of upgrading your old house’s electrical system so that your house can become more energy efficient and save you money in the long run, then you may want to get some ideas from other people who have pursued such projects to see what is the best course of action. Every old house is different and you may need to do some custom work to make your situation work for you. There are many reasons why you may be considering upgrading the old electrical system in your home. Searching for the right commercial electrician Melbourne to find solutions to your electrical problems can be a daunting and painful task.

Many old homes have electrical systems that have a smaller power capacity than today’s more modern homes require. This can cause many problems in today’s electronic and gadget based world. For this reason many people look to expand the capacity of their home’s electrical system. Some of the symptoms of your home not having enough power are:

• You frequently blow fuses or circuit breakers when you use too many appliances like vacuum cleaners, microwaves or space heaters
• The lights dim when you turn on an appliance
• You don’t have enough electrical receptacles for the number of appliances you use.
• You may have many extension cords and adapters to fit more plugs

Think about the new appliances that have become widely available over the last 40 years or so. Vacuum cleaners, space heaters, air conditioners, microwaves, curling irons, hair dryers, big screen televisions, spas, computers etc… Many of these appliances draw significant amounts of electrical power. Some older homes only have 60- 100 amps of power available in their electrical panel. A typical space heater or microwave can draw 15-20 amps alone. Of course you also have to consider the power drawn by the lights, fridge, microwave, etc.

Now you can see why it may be necessary to upgrade your homes electrical system. Upgrading a homes electrical system isn’t an easy job and it’s not recommended to get involved with a project like this unless you are a professional and you know what you’re doing. This is not a job for your handyman, the brand new electrician or your friends brother who “knows how to do electrical work”. If you need to upgrade your electrical system, you should contact a licensed Electrical Contractor in your area. You should consult with them about your project and what you’re trying to accomplish with the new system in your home.

It is important to check the references of any company you are considering working with. Often reviews that can be found on various places on the internet can give some valuable insight about the local residential electricians you will choose to do the job. The cheapest contractor is not necessarily your best bet, neither is the most expensive, however remember that the old adage “you get what you pay for” is often true.

If you live in San Diego and need to upgrade your service, a quick internet search for “Electricians in San Diego” will give you a number of residential electricians to interview for the job. A qualified electrical contractor who has enough experience upgrading older homes can help you expand the power capacity of that old home so that you will have the capacity to power the more modern devices that require higher voltage draws.

Most people today have modern appliances such as dishwashers, washers, dryers, generators and other types of appliances that require more voltage than what some older types of homes have available. To have your old home support your newer and more modern appliances you will most likely have to consult your local electrician or electrical contractor and talk to them about what they can do to expand your home’s capacity. When they come to inspect the home, your local licensed electrician will look at the original electric system that is currently in place. Most of the time these old electrical systems that have been around since the 40s or even earlier are simply do not have the capacity to power the appliances we use everyday in our lives. The licensed electrician will most likely increase the power capacity of your old home by bringing in more power from the street. This is done by replacing your old panel and breaker boxes with a larger electric panel which can handle the requirement of your home. This can be a tricky process so it’s advised to have an experienced electrician handle the task for you to ensure that everything is done safely and to proper specifications.

Some things to be sure to ask are, will you be completely removing the old panel? How many circuits do I need for my home? Will you be using the correct size wires and breakers for every circuit? Will you be switching ALL of the power over? Will you be obtaining all the permits?

These are important questions to ask. It will show that you understand what you are talking about and prevent inexperienced or unscrupulous contractors from taking advantage and not providing you with everything you pay for. We have seen many instances where homeowners paid for what they thought was a professional and complete service upgrade, but they later learn (unfortunately) that the old service is buried inside a wall with the new panel put on top but not all the power switched over.

Your electrical contractor should we willing and able to handle all aspects of your electrical service upgrade including obtaining a permit and dealing with the city and the utility company. Once you have your new power system with an increased capacity, you’ll never have to worry about the safety of your home from an electrical perspective, blowing circuits or having the power you need for all of your appliances.

If you live in or near San Diego and want to speak with a qualified Electrician who specializes in older homes, visit Point Loma Electric. Electrician San Diego [http://pointlomaelectric.net/Upgrading_Your_Electrical_Service.html]

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Replacing a Blown Fuse

Sooner or later nearly everyone is going to have to know how to replace a blown fuse in a fuse box – fuses don’t last forever and overloads or electrical shorts are always possible with the result always being that changing a fuse is required. As an electrician myself, I have not only replaced more than a few fuses but installed thousands in new construction work – some commercial buildings may have hundreds in just one school or large store. Need a qualified dependable electrician 24 hours Melbourne, ready to respond quickly to an electrical emergency at your home?

One of the first things that is needed is a replacement fuse, but there are literally thousands of different types of fuses available. It is far beyond any single article to look at every style, type and size of fuse, but some of the more common types of fuses will be covered.

Secondly, the fuse must be replaced with a new fuse. The old one must be removed from the clips holding it in the fuse box and a new one installed. Again, every possibility cannot be covered in one article, but common fuses and how to remove and replace them will be discussed.

Types of Fuses That Might Be Encountered

The first thing in finding a replacement fuse is not necessarily the physical type or size, but the rated ampacity of the fuse – the electrical size in other words. Every fuse has a particular number of amps that it will carry; go beyond that and it will blow. Never replace a fuse with one rated at a higher ampacity to prevent blowing it; the wiring carrying the current is carefully sized to the size of the fuse and requiring it to carry more amps than it is rated for is a majorcause of electrical fires.

Many fuses are of the “time delay” or “slo-blow” type in that they will tolerate a short period of overload without blowing. This is done to accommodate motors of all types with their high current requirements as they come up to speed, but if that high level of current continues the fuse will still blow. In general it is not a bad idea to purchase time delay fuses and in many cases that is all that is available. One of the most common exceptions is for fuses in electronic equipment; quickly blowing a fuse on a circuit board that has been overloaded by a failing component can save the rest of the board.

Plug Fuses

Commonly used in older homes that were constructed prior to the introduction of circuit breakers,these fuses screw into a socket similar to a light bulb and are easily changed. There are two basic thread sizes; make sure that you have the correct size of thread on the new fuse; take the old one to the store with you when buying. The threads are considerably different and it is easy to distinguish between the two and adapters are available to convert a large socket to the smaller size. Occasionally these fuses may also be found with a switch controlling a remote motor such as an attic ventilation fan.

Some plug fuses are of the “t” type and require an adaptor to use; this is done to prevent tampering with the fuse box. If this is the case, make sure you have the adaptor as well.

Plug Fuses

Cartridge Fuses

These are less common in home use, but are still found in many pieces of outdoor equipment. Appliances such as well pumps, outdoor air conditioner units and even roof top swamp coolers may have a cartridge type fuse in a small electrical box.

More care must be taken here in choosing a new fuse as cartridge fuses come in many, many physical sizes. They can vary from an inch long to a foot or more. They can have a groove at one end that fits into only one of the clamps so that the fuse must be installed in one direction only. Diameter can vary from as little as ¼” to several inches.

Each cartridge fuse will have a number/letter designation stamped on it, along with an ampacity. Matching both is necessary for proper replacement – the same ampacity is absolutely critical and the letter designation indicates the type of fuse, whether it is a time delay or other specialty fuse. Make sure that both match when replacing any cartridge fuse.

Different Cartridge Fuses

Automotive Fuses

Automobiles may have any of three different fuses; a glass tube fuse, and “blade” fuses in both regular and mini sizes. All three are again available in various amperage ratings which must be matched exactly between the blown fuse and it’s replacement.

Blade fuses are typically color coded, with the color indicating amperage; replace one of these with the same color as is being removed. Blade fuses come in two physical sizes, the ATC pictured here and the smaller “mini” size. The fuse box will only accept one size, however, so make sure you have the right physical size. Blade fuses are commonly available in a variety pack such as shown here and this is a perfect way to purchase them for a car, boat or RV. This kit even came with a tester and fuse puller.

Glass tube fuses come in many, many different aperages and physical sizes. Amperages as low as 1/10 of an amp are available as they are common in electronic circuit boards where only very small amperages are used. Automobiles will use a much higher amperage, typically from 15 to 30 amps. These fuses can even be found in some Christmas tree light sets, as an “in line” fuse; a small fuse container that is part of the cord assembly.

Automotive fuses

It is generally pretty easy to tell if a plug fuse is blown; the glass window will either be blackened or the silver wire inside will be burned in half. If you are unsure, though, the article on how to check a fuse will walk you through checking the fuse.

With the right replacement fuse on hand, changing a plug fuse is a very simple task. Simply unscrew the blown fuse just as you would a light bulb and screw the new one in. In very rare cases, the fuse may be stuck; very careful use of pliers may be required to break it free. Extreme caution is the name of the game here as if you crush the fuse with pliers it is probably time to call an electrician to dig it out of the fuse box.

Changing a Cartridge Fuse

This is a little more difficult as removing the old fuse isn’t quite so easy. A fuse puller is extremely handy here and are quite inexpensive. Examples of some fuse pullers are shown above, available from either Amazon or eBay.

If there is any question that power is still on at the fuse, check with a non contact voltage detector or voltmeter before proceeding. Do not attempt to remove a cartridge fuse that is still has power to it!

If a fuse puller is available, grasp the fuse near the center with the puller and pull the fuse straight out of the clips holding it. If you have waited too long to buy a fuse puller, these fuses can often be removed by prying with a screwdriver or using pliers, but be aware that squeezing too hard will crush the fuse and shatter a glass tube fuse.

Holding the replacement fuse in place, push the bottom end into the clips. A hammer handle can be used for large fuses or other tool for smaller ones if finger pressure won’t do the job. Be sure to press hard on only the metal ends as the fuse can be broken by pressing hard in the center. If the fuse has a groove on one end, make sure it is not upside down as it will not fit the spring clamps if it is. With one end fitted into the clamps, push the top end in as well. The fuse should be centered as well as possible in the clamps, without having one end protruding; many clamps will not accept a fuse that isn’t aligned properly.

Changing a Blade Fuse

A fuse puller is almost a necessity here as these fuses are difficult to grab with pliers and tweezers usually can’t supply the force necessary to remove it. Grasp the center of the fuse with the fuse puller, then, and pull it straight out. The new fuse is simply pushed into place, again making sure that it is aligned reasonably well.

Replacing a Glass Tube Fuse

These fuses will again need a fuse puller unless the ends are very accessible and can be reached with a screwdriver to pry them out. Use of pliers will almost inevitably result in a broken fuse, with broken glass scattered throughout the fuse box.

Grasp the fuse in the center with the fuse puller and pull the entire fuse out. Insert the new fuse into the fuse puller and push it into place in the clamps using the tool. It is often easier to use the fuse puller on these small fuse than fingers.