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Do you have fuses in your switchboard?
If you answer yes to any of these questions then you should strongly consider getting a circuit breaker upgrade.
If a home has blown a fuse, it means the circuit has drawn more current than it was designed to handle, and the fuse has sacrificed itself to prevent overheating or fire. If it keeps blowing, there’s likely an underlying fault such as an overload or short circuit that needs investigation. Repeated fuse failures are a warning sign that the electrical system may be outdated or unsafe compared to a switchboard fitted with properly rated circuit breakers.
Circuit breakers are safer than traditional fuses because they provide precise, factory-rated protection that cannot be easily bypassed or incorrectly replaced. Unlike fuses, which rely on a melting wire and can be over-rated or improperly repaired, circuit breakers trip predictably under overload or short-circuit conditions and are simply reset once the fault is fixed. Modern breakers are often combined with RCD or RCBO protection, which disconnects power within milliseconds if an earth leakage is detected, significantly reducing shock and fire risk. Overall, circuit breakers offer faster fault detection, better personal protection and improved compliance with modern electrical safety standards.
Circuit breakers are significantly more convenient than traditional fuses because they can be reset instantly without needing replacement parts. When a fuse blows, it must be removed and replaced—often requiring spare fuse wire or cartridges—whereas a circuit breaker simply needs to be switched back on once the fault is resolved. Breakers also clearly indicate which circuit has tripped, making fault identification faster and easier. This reduces downtime, avoids unnecessary callouts, and makes everyday electrical management far simpler for homeowners.
An old switchboard should be updated because it may lack modern safety protections that significantly reduce the risk of electric shock and fire. Older boards commonly rely on ceramic fuses and may not include RCD (safety switch) protection, which is now standard for rapidly disconnecting power during earth leakage faults. Ageing components, loose connections and outdated wiring practices can also increase the likelihood of overheating and failure. Upgrading to a modern switchboard with properly rated circuit breakers and RCBOs improves safety, reliability, compliance with current standards, and provides better protection for both people and property.
It's time to upgrade. Fuses are not safe enough, reliable enough, or convenient enough for modern electrical standards.
A fuse is a simple and effective device.
When the fuse goes over-current the small wire burns out thus breaking the circuit. Hey presto, you’ve protected yourself against this surge in current.
The problem is, there are things a fuses won’t detect though, like current leaks.
Perhaps you have a frayed or loose wire in your house. This will not trip a fuse. Or perhaps you become the circuit (eg electric shock from touching a faulty electrical device). A fuse will not detect this and will not save you. A circuit breaker will (though truly, this is what safety switches are for).
Circuit breakers are also reset-able. When a breaker is tripped you can reset it easily. When a fuse wire breaks you must replace the fuse wire.
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.
A circuit breaker is not to be confused with a safety switch. A safety switch shuts off electricity supply when it detects a leakage to earth. Circuit breakers are installed to protect circuit wiring and appliances, while safety switches protect people.
Both are important.
You can find more information about safety switches here.
As part of electrical work we completed on a house, we had to upgrade one of the fuses to a circuit breaker. This is sometimes required under the current laws where the switchboard does not meet legal specifications after completion of other works.
When the circuit breaker was installed it tripped itself. This indicated a fault in the current wiring in the house. We located it to a frayed wire in a light switch. This fault would never trip a fuse because a fuse can only react when there is too much current. But the circuit breaker detected the current leak and tripped straight away.
This is a great example of why circuit breakers are much safer than fuses.
Since you’re here, the fact you’re even considering this question, then the answer is yes. Circuit breaker installation or upgrade is a simple way of keeping you and your property safe.
Many older fuse boxes are no longer able to cope with the amount of power modern homes require to function. Upgrading from an older ceramic fuse to a circuit breaker is not only safer for your home and family but also easy to reset if the power to your home is tripped. All you have to do is flick the switch to return power to your home. No more changing fuse wire in the middle of the night!
