What do older homes typically use to prevent electrical overload and fires?

Older homes typically use fuses to prevent electrical overload and fires. Fuses are devices designed to break the circuit when the flow of electrical current exceeds a certain threshold, thereby protecting the wiring and connected appliances from damage due to overheating. This mechanism reduces the risk of fire caused by electrical overloads, which were more common in older wiring systems that were not designed to handle modern electrical loads.

Fuses function by containing a metal strip that melts and disconnects the circuit when the current is too high. While circuit breakers serve a similar purpose and are more commonly used in modern wiring, they were not the standard in older homes. Surge protectors and voltage regulators, while useful for different electrical issues, do not specifically address the issue of preventing overloads and are not as relevant to the context of older homes.