Debate: Do you wire panels with the power on or off? I was always told off until a guy showed me his live-wire method last Tuesday

I've been installing for about 6 years now and I always cut power before touching anything in the panel. Felt like basic safety. Then last week I was on a job with this older installer who worked for Brinks back in the day. He just reached in and started tapping wires while the system was hot. Claimed it's faster and you can test right away without resetting clocks or codes. I froze watching him do it but he didn't mess anything up. Now I'm wondering if I've been wasting time all these years powering down every time. Is there a real risk difference or is it just preference? Has anyone else switched how they do this?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettymurphy1mo ago

That old-timer method works great until it doesn't. One slip and you're dealing with a dead short or worse.

julia_fisher281mo ago

That 30 amp breaker tripped or did you smell anything burning first...