mobile home half electric outlets not working...please

baby327nd

I live in the mobile home which has fuse panel instead of a breaker box. A few days ago some of the outlets stop working and I checked the electronic items were still okay by plugging into other outlets and they still work as usual. Today now half of my electric outlets don't work however the things that was connected to them still works [I checked with the outlets that still works]. The mobile home gas heater/furnace also do not work any longer also.


I looked around my house to find any Resetting GFCI Outlet but their wasn't any.

So, now can someone please tell me how to fix this situation? My fuse panel looks like the pic below that I found online [except all 4 fuses are all orange and not blue]:



So, do I just replace all the orange fuses in the picture above or do I have to do something else also?


About my mobile home, it was just put in place about 2 years ago and was installed with new fuse [but I am not sure if that goes for all the fuses].

joecaption

Got a meter to do some testing and know how to use it?
Sure sounds like you have lost one leg of your incoming power.
Power comes into that box as 220 volts and gets split to 110 volts on each side.
Pull one of those handles to remove the fuse holder to see if there blown.
It could also very well be your incoming power has an issue.

baby327nd

1. What meter are you talking about? like the gas/electric meter outside your mobile home which shows your gas/electric usage? like this:
http://www.em2k.com/wp-content/uploa.../gas-meter.jpg

2. Sorry but what does fuse blown looks like since I never installed one in the first place since it was already installed for me.

I think it all happened because I had 2 portable heater on [1500 watts] from time to time, were using the hair dryer 3-5 minutes every 1 hour or so [because my hand gets cold some times], has the gas furnace on all the way to full, and other normal appliance [except no washing machine or dryer or oven]. But I am not entirely sure why it happened.

danpik

Look at the little round screw in fuses. Each one of them has a small metal bar inside the glass. If the fuse is blown, the metal bar will be "broken" and there may be some dark discoloration on the inside of the glass. That will be the blown fuse if it is one of the branch circuits. It is also posible that the main cartridge fuse is blown. They are located behind the pull out block just above the hand in the picture you posted. You will need a Volt/Ohn meter to test these.
By the questions you asked in your reply I would suggest you get someone qualified to work in that box to come and look things over. Messing around in an electric box if you are unsure of things is like doing your own open heart surgery. It just won't end well.

Also, If you do have a blown fuse as I suspect you do due to the heavy load those heaters put on the wiring, Do not replace them with higher rated fuses. Most likely they will need to be 15 amp fuses. Anything higher can cause a fire.

joecaption

Sure looks like that home is already way under supplyed and will be a sure way to start a fire by using a space heater!
So far this year in my area we have had three mobil homes burn down, all from running space heaters.

baby327nd

okay I checked and see that two fuses were blown. So my question is now do I need to exchange it with the exact type and amp.

For example, the type I need to change are 20 AMP, Type D, S. Can I exchange it with 15 amp and different type and from different companies?

danpik

If you have a type s fuse in there then you will have to replace it with a like size type s fuse. The type s designation indicates that it is a tamper resistant insert in the socket that will not allow a larger size to be installed. Simply take the bad fuses with you when you get new ones to ensure you get the proper ones.

baby327nd

okay thanks.

I replaced one fuse with same one and it works fine! So I just need another one and before I do that can I replace it with 25 amp. My manager told me it is fine in fact he is the one who gave me the 25 amp fuse.

So will it be okay to install the 25 amp with the other three fuse which are all 20 amp fuse?

joecaption

NO!
Any older modil home I've ever seen used 14-2 wiring for outlet, that sized wire is rated for only 15 amp.
That would mean the wiring would be melted before the fuse blew.
I'd strongly suggest you have an on site real electriction look this over for you.
Why take the chance of burning down the house.

baby327nd

On my fuse panel box it says:
60 AMP 125-250v

So wasn't I already over 60 amp because previously I had, for more than a year, 4 20 amp installed?

TarheelTerp

Nope. It doesn't work like that.

Kyle_in_rure

I agree, an electrician or another reasonably qualified person really needs to come look at this, to determine what size fuses are needed. Most mobile homes I have seen require 15 amp fuses and have 14 gauge wiring; 20 amp fuses are only good for 12 gauge wiring. Also, DO NOT put in a 25 amp fuse, a branch circuit for appliances will not have a rating over 20 amps.