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Request to open a panel or work on the service.

A licensed electrician should do all work inside panels, with the utility handling upstream disconnects.

Customers put it like this

  • can you just take the panel cover off
  • I turned off the main so it is dead
  • I want to seat a breaker myself
  • can we plug the generator into the dryer outlet
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Stop first if

  • Anyone assumes the main off means the panel is dead.Stop. Line terminals stay live until the utility disconnects upstream.
  • A panel is open with crews nearby.Keep crews clear until a qualified person closes it or it is de-energized upstream.
  • Equipment is scorched.Leave the dead-front on, keep clear and call a licensed electrician.
  • The service has current-transformer metering.Never open the secondary. Leave it to the utility or a trained meter technician.
01

Ask on the call

5

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. What work is being asked for, and why?
  2. Is the cover on right now?
  3. Is there a meter or disconnect in a separate enclosure?
  4. Are there several disconnects for this service?
  5. Is this a house, or a larger building with metering cabinets?
02

Bring

4
  • Voltage tester proven on a known source
  • Rated multimeter
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Read labels to identify what is upstream of the panel.
  2. Count disconnect enclosures. One switch may not kill the service.
  3. A licensed electrician arranges any utility disconnect, then confirms absence of voltage.
  4. Keep the cover on, or de-energize upstream, while other crews work nearby.
  5. A qualified person stands to the side when operating a disconnect on faulted equipment.
  6. Refuse any backfeed plan and record the refusal.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Photo of labels and what feeds the panel
  • Disconnect count
  • Utility disconnect request and time
  • Absence of voltage reading and who took it

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.