Shut Off Electricity: DIY Electrical
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| Step One: Look for the service wires on the outside of the home. Service wires pass through the electrical meter, usually found on an exterior wall. Close to the meter, a metal pipe called a service entry brings the wires through the outside wall and into the home. Find the main service panel by tracing the service entry pipe through the wall into your basement or utility room. |
Step Two: The main service panel is a metal box attached to the entry pipe. The panel divides the electricity into circuits, each carrying power to a part of your home. In newer systems, each circuit is controlled by a circuit breaker. Older systems use screw-in plug fuses. The main breaker or fuse makes it possible to turn off all power at once. |
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| Step Three: A sub panel, sometimes found near the main service panel, feeds directly off the main service panel to provide power to appliance circuits, or to a garage or other outbuilding. Shutting off the main fuse or breaker in the main service panel also shuts off power to the sub panel. |
Circuit breakers control current load in newer systems. Identify breaker controlling wires you will touch. Switch breaker to OFF. Test wires with circuit tester before beginning repair. |
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| Fuses control current load in older wiring systems. Identify the fuse controlling wires you will touch. Touching insulated rim only, unscrew fuse and set aside. Test wires with circuit tester before beginning repair. | Cartridge fuses protect circuits for larger appliances. Use one hand only to open panel and handle fuses. If fuse is housed in a block, grip handle of block and pull. Remove fuse from clips using fuse puller. |
