mcarterphoto t1_iy4k53c wrote on November 28, 2022 at 6:26 PM

Reply to comment by dilligaf4lyfe in can you run an ethernet cable through an empty conduit in your house on your own? by VanillianArt

OP could shut off the main breaker at the box I'd think? (I only have metal tapes, but I use them more for running cat 5 without conduit).

cyberentomology t1_iy4lgx9 wrote on November 28, 2022 at 6:35 PM

Won’t help if your metal fish tape pops out and into the supply lugs of the main breaker.

shikuto t1_iy4ou70 wrote on November 28, 2022 at 6:57 PM

It will if they have a disconnect before the panel. That’s how I wired my parents home up, so that they could easily and safely work inside of their main panel if necessary.

dilligaf4lyfe t1_iy4p6yz wrote on November 28, 2022 at 6:59 PM

What the other guy said. The main breaker shuts off everything downstream, but everything upstream of the main breaker in the panel is hot (ie the lugs). And they're pretty easy to hit. You'd have to pull the meter to fully deenergize the enclosure, and that's a pain in the ass to deal with. Generally, you need to call the utility, although you can always break that rule, but pulling meters isn't something I'd recommend to a DIYer because depending on the state of the meter base, there's serious risk of pulling a lug off and arcing it to the can.