Hi everyone,
At the moment I'm currently having a electrical problems with the lights in my house flickering on and off, and there were a couple of rooms (living room and one of the bedrooms) in the house wherein the electricity had completely shut off. I checked the breaker box inside the house, but nothing had tripped. So I went outside and walked over to where my electric meter is located, and there is a 100 amp breaker in an outdoor box directly under the meter. I flipped it off, and then flipped it back on. When I went back inside the house, all the electricity was back on in all of the rooms. But after a couple of hours, the problems resumed with the lights flickering off and on in all rooms, and the electricity again went completely out in two rooms.
I called up the electric company yesterday because I wondered if it could be problem on their end, so they sent out a utility to crew to check on things with their gauges. They told me that the problem was that the outdoor 100 amp breaker was getting too hot and needed replacement. Hopefully I can find one that matches at home depot or one of those other places.
I was just wondering what precautions I should take before replacing this outdoor breaker that's in this box under my electric meter? Or is this too dangerous a job and I should call an electrician? I would like to try and do it myself and save some money, if it's possible.
I looked the breaker over (after removing the panel) and noticed that it's hooked up to two thick wires. When replacing this breaker, should I contact the electric company and have them cut off all the electricity going to the meter beforehand? I'm thinking that it's very possible that one could get electrocuted while disconnecting the breaker when pulling it out of the slot..if one of those thick wires make contact.
I have replaced breakers inside the breaker box in my house, but whenever I worked on those, as a precaution I always shut off this outside breaker. But now I need to replace the outside one. I'm just wondering if any of you reading have ever replaced an outside breaker like this, and what precautions you took...
thanks, tysteel
please email me at:
tysteel5000 @ aol.com