Churning with voltage and resembling an explosion at the wire factory, the breaker panel exudes mystique. But it's just a big switch, filled with other smaller ­switches, which lead to the switches ...

Electricity is crucial for the operation of most modern homes. It allows you to cook on electric stoves, store food in electric refrigerators, and use countless electrical devices, like computers or ...

Unless you’ve recently blown a fuse and suddenly found yourself without electricity, it’s probably been a while since you’ve spent some time at your circuit breaker box. But you might want to take a ...

Question: Our home is 40 years old. In my bedroom bath we have a four-way lamppost light fixture that holds four 60-watt bulbs. I was blow-drying my hair using a 1,500-watt dryer, and I heard a pop.

Reviewing a typical protective device trip curve (click here to see Fig. 2), it can be divided into three regions. First is the “instantaneous region,” which is the region intended to interrupt ...

Imagine you're relaxing in your living room — the lights are on, the TV is streaming your current favorite show, the air ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about how to do more with your consumer gadgets. Circuit breakers, breaker panels, breaker boxes, fuse boxes—no matter ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Without circuit breakers, the electricity running through your walls could damage wiring and cause fires. There are several reasons why you ...