Over here fuses for home panels were phased out over the 70s. Near the end of the 70s all home panels were made with breakers, but remaining stock of fuse holders (mostly rewirable ceramic 15A ones) was used up on things like staircases and in the bases of lighting columns

Fuses are still installed on all homes - In the service drop to a house, there are fuses inside the meter cabinet. They are there for cases like a short in the meter, a short in customer wiring before his main breaker and such. The fuses are slow blow with rating about 1.2x higher than the nominal size of the connection - So for 40A service (40A main breaker in your panel) you get 50A fuse backup, so they dont blow unless your main breaker fails to clear the fault



Breakers are a problem when they are of bad quality or chosen/installed incorrectly. I would very much like to say that when they are of good quality they work well - They do...

But lately i have seen a DOA breaker from ABB (a very well known manufacturer), 3 phase MCB that fails to close one phase when switched on. That could arc and burn if the contacts that didn't close do come close enough to arc at 230V. That could also destroy a motor if it would be powering a 3 phase motor installed without a protection unit (which is wrong installation in its own, but thats a different story). This is very common fault with cheap breakers, but that's a first for me with a "good manufacturer" breaker and i sure hope it is a one-off

(While ABB are not my cup of tea when choosing breakers, i do normally regard them as good manufacturer)

In regards to powering a motor, fuses are not any better - One blown fuse on a 3 phase motor would destroy an unprotected motor the same way. And with fuses this is the expected failure mode every time a fuse blows, not a one-off event that would never happen with an intact breaker (since 3 phase breakers have interconnected tripping mechanisms on all 3 phases)



Other than for motors - Fuses work well and i can see the preference

Breakers do have the advantage that you reset them and thats it. Fuses are an open door for incidents by the average user who does not know any better (use wrong fuse, not switch off the disconnecting switch before taking the fuse out, poke finger into a live fuse terminal or holder, plug a new fuse into a live holder with the short still present in the circuit, ....) or by cowboys who think they can outsmart the thing

Breakers do have the advantage that you reset them and thats it. Fuses are an open door for incidents by the average user who does not know any better (use wrong fuse, not switch off the disconnecting switch before taking the fuse out, poke finger into a live fuse terminal or holder, plug a new fuse into a live holder with the short still present in the circuit, ....) or by cowboys who think they can outsmart the thing

I have seen those re-wireable fuses replaced with 6" nails...  

The fuses that were used here before breakers are user rewirable rectangular shape, of 15A (small) and 30A (large). There were all the small mishaps like putting in random wires, leaving end of the wire sticking out (a Pikachu when touching the fuse after it is inserted) and so on... But the best i seen by far was jumpering the fuse socket (into which the fuse inserts by blades) with 3 twisted 1.5mm2 wires

The common protection for motors is by a current relay (essentially same theory of operation as a circuit breaker, but different trip curves and precision class) which is calibrated to the motor normal working current by a screw. If the motor takes too high current it will trip - This covers most "stalled motor" situations as well as missing phase. Still, peeps try to save on this relay at install time and then smoke compressors, conveyors, centrifugal blowers, you name it....

My house is a mix of white decora outlets and switches and standard Ivory outlets and switches. 

Old outlets-switches were Eagle-new Hubbell.

Most of the switches I have a white Decora ones with stainless cover plates. The unfinished areas have brown/black toggle switches with steel cover plates though.

As for outlets, it's more of a mixed bag, the few original ones left are standard ivory outlets. The newer replacements are commercial grade Leviton standard white outlets or Decora white outlets. Outlet cover plates vary, they either have a nylon plate that matches the outlet or a stainless steel plate.

Most of the devices are Leviton with maybe one or two Eagle and Cooper devices.

Over this side of the pond we usually have face plate and switch / socket (receptacle) combined.

Some large commercial installations use grid switches with cover plates which are similar to what you have in the US.

Quite frankly having them separate scares me, especially with exposed terminals that can catch the unwary out.! 

Where do you find something like that in a proper install ?

Where do you find something like that in a proper install ?

You don't, but in an installation that hasn't been done properly you can, and the only time you know that it has been done properly is when you take off the cover plate.

There may be everything else wrong inside but all touchable external surfaces are plastic. I meant something installed with the plate missing completely as example of non proper install THAT bad

Got a few push switches still kicking.

Got a few push switches still kicking.

I've never seen switches like those before.

My house originally had Leviton brown residential grade switches with Leviton brown duplex receptacles. Most have been replaced with various modern switches though.

Mostly Leviton Decora and residential switches/receptacles, except in a few odd spots (like a GE ivory lighted mercury switch in a closet and two ivory swithes and a brown outlet with ribbed ivory plates).

Found one four way in the hall.

Is it a snap switch?