Hi, I have 2 older homes ( 60's and 20's build). Both had electrical work done when purchased. I see both don't have a main disconnect breaker. What is the danger of not having one? On electrician says it's needed and the other says not and has continued to find breakers to expand the box. They each are working on separate houses. Both homes have had complaints from tenants of overload and fuse being burnt out. I am including extra breakers in each. Any concerns I am overlooking by not having a main breaker in the box?

Is there a main breaker between the meter and box anywhere?

It's not a huge issue, but I would want one. I think

your tenants blowing breakers is an unrelated issue.

AL,

1. A main breaker is needed to shut the power to the entire house.

2. Overload and fuses burning - this is an indication that your old panels have to be upgraded. Today's homes have more electrical users - in the kitchen and around the home - much more than years gone by.

3. If you have 60 A panels, it's time to upgrade to 100 A.

Here in New Haven,would have never passed Inspection .I'm not an electrician,and wouldn't pass it either.You better get rid of one of those electricians,and you don't have to have a Degree in Good Housekeeping to know which one..........charlie

Here in stupid California there is another way to cut off service to a property in case of an emergency. Pull out the electrical meter from it's "meter socket". However, our utility then puts a meter "lock" so it can't be removed without a special key!

I was working when a basement electrical fire started at the main panel. The only way to cut off power was to pull the meter outside. But the meter lock was made of heavy duty steel and needed a key that only the utility had or some fire trucks. I called 911. It was going to take around 3 to 4 minutes to connect to an 911 operator, then 10 minutes or more till a Fire Truck Showed up. SO I took my composite tree trimmer/pruner and cut the two hot wires coming in from the utility poll.

Everyone was so made at me that I did damage to the power feed lines. Never mine it took the fire department 16 minutes to arrive. By then, I cut off service and was hosing down the basement ceiling (floor joists) and saved the property from serious damage.

Prior to 1984, residential services could use "split-bus" panels with no single breaker for all the power. But all the power had to be disconnected with not more than 6 motions of the hand. Existing installations in good condition are permitted to continue in use.