These days most newer homes a circuit breaker panel. Many older homes may still have the old style fuse panels. In either case, fuses and circuit breakers have the same job of protecting branch circuits from sustained short circuits and overloading. The most common circuit breaker and fuse sizes you're likely to have are 15 amp, 20 amp, 30 amp, and 40 amp. The circuits which supply lights and receptacles in your home are generally protected by 15 amp or 20 amp fuses or circuit breakers. Your stove or range would be protected by a 40 amp breaker while your clothes dryer would have a 30 amp breaker.
You will find that older homes have few branch circuits where everything seems to run off of one or two fuses which creates the problem of tripped breakers or blown fuses. You may think that the solution to this would be to simply install a larger circuit breaker or fuse. This can create dangerous overloading of branch circuit conductors. Conductors are rated by how much continous current they can safely carry. A #12 cable can carry up to 20 amps while a #14 cable can carry 15 amps. By installing a 30 amp breaker or fuse on a 15 or 20 amp branch circuit you will be exceeding the rating of the cable.
When a cable is asked to carry more current than it is rated for, a dangerous situation develops. The larger a cable is the less resistance it has and the more current it can handle. The smaller a cable is the less current it can handle. You can use the garden hose analogy - the larger the diameter the less resistance and the more water it can carry. When overloaded, the conductors will heat up which can melt the insulation on the cable and cause a short circuit or an electrical fire. The correct way to resolve a situation where fuses and breakers frequently trip is to install more circuits and break up overloaded circuits.
In the days of old, houses frequently had only 4 circuits which was fine back then. Today, 32 - 40 branch circuits are required to operate the house of today with all it's conveniences. If a ciruit breaker does trip, it can be reset by first turning it all the way to the off position and then back to the on position. You have to replace fuses when they blow. Keep 1 or 2 spares of the most common fuse sizes close to your fusebox so they can be easily found when one decides to blow. The best solution is to have your fusebox replaced by a modern circuit breaker panel. This is not a DIY job, an electrical permit is required so it's best to hire a qualified electrician to do the job.
When prospective home buyers are interested in your home, or if they hire a home inspector, one of the important areas of concern is the electrical system. An old fuse panel that is overloaded will create a red flag. If you replace your old fuse panel with a circuit breaker panel it will be a big plus when you do decide it's time to sell your home.
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