Hat wrote:
I have installed CB sub-panels many a times with no problem because I
can disconnect the live wires at the main panel. In the old house I
am fixing, I need to replace the all-fuse MAIN panel with a new CB
panel. Do I need to contact the power company to disconnect the
juice, or is there another way of doing it? I do not want to mess
with the 240 volt supply because it may hurt a bit (i.e., kill me).
BTW: how do certified electricians go about disconnecting the live
wires before doing a similar job? Thanks

If you are installing the same amperage panel, the old wires may not be
long enough. Replacing the wires from a meter socket with a hot supply
side is hazardous, particularly in the old sockets that did not shield
the meter jaws. The hazard is not only electrocution, but the high
currents that you can get if there is an inadvertent short - somewhere
like 5,000-10,000 amps with not a lot of protection from the utility.
Tools can vaporize.

If doing the same amp rating and the wires are long enough, pulling the
meter should be OK. Else, an electrician might cut the service wires at
the utility connection and reconnect them, or have the utility cut and
reconnect. The way it is done varies with location.

There are a number of requirements for service panels that you do not
have with subpanels.

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