Panel Box Electrical Question

[HotRod]

A couple of weeks ago my brother (electrical apprentice) and myself decided to swap the old 100A fuse box in my house for a new Federal 100A breaker box, we killed the power slowly removed the old box and installed everything the new box. So here's the question.

When we powered up the new box it was "DEAD" even using a meter before the main shutoff there wasn't an "ounce" of power, after some frantic searching around and making sure the neighbours still had power we call the power company but while on hold waiting for an answer the power in the box came back on. Any idea what happened? Did the meter go to sleep?

[Bert Byfield]

It was not a mystical experience. Something was almost connected when you thought you were finished. Then it settled into place. If it happens again, look for it with a voltage detector, between the no-voltage point and the voltage point ("cutting the problem in half") until you find the place where there is *not* a continuous metal path, even if it looks like there is.

[willshak]

On 1/6/2005 2:31 PM US(ET), HotRod took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

Perhaps it's a new meter that can detect if it is removed and your call to the company allowed them to remotely turn it back on? I know that older meters do not have this ability, but with the technology today, anything is possible. Did the person at the electric company say anything about the power, or did you just hang up when the power came back on?

[scott_z500]

I was thinking that maybe they have a bad connection someplace.

[Steve]

I hope you didn't swap out the panel box without pulling the meter! You are braver than I am if you did.

Steve

[newsgroups01REMOVEME]

Since you did the work on an unenergized service line, call the utitlity to re-energize it.

later,

tom @