On May 9, 10:47*pm, 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


Is it your old house ? If yes then if you can safely do the work
(which isn't recommended because you would have to kill the
power by undoing or cutting the feeder cables near the service
entry head to make even the meter socket enclosure totally
safe to work in) go nuts... If you are NOT the homeowner and
you are doing work on this "old house" for its owner, then you
can't do that type of project for them without an electrical
license...

Replacing an electrical panel is not "handyman work"...

Upgrading an old fuse panel to a new circuit breaker panel
is not as easy as it seems and might require replacement
of the main feeder wiring all the way up to the service drop
from the utility pole where you make the connections to
the wires for the meter socket at the service head... This
could include installation of a new metering socket if the
old service was not 200 amps as well as having the power
company having to install larger gauge drop wires to feed
your property...

But if you think its simple, go nuts... Its only someone's
home that will burn down if you don't do every aspect of
the project correctly...

~~ Evan