Finally got that old panel swap done at a local diner

Been dreading this job for weeks. Old 1960s Pushmatic panel in a downtown diner, had to swap it out before their health inspection next month. Took me and my apprentice about 9 hours total, but we got it done without cutting power to the kitchen for more than 45 minutes. The owner bought us lunch, a bacon cheeseburger that actually hit the spot. Anyone else have a panel swap that took way longer than you planned?

3 comments

3 Comments

colethomas10d ago

Ran into the same thing with an old Zinsco in a laundromat last year. Pro tip: map out every circuit on a whiteboard before you touch a single wire, it saved us from chasing ghosts later.

emma_garcia10d ago

And honestly the whiteboard is only half the battle, you gotta take photos of every panel before you pull wires too. Had a guy swear he mapped everything right but turned out he mixed up two neutrals and we spent an afternoon fixing that mess. Between photos and a whiteboard you basically eliminate all the guesswork, just gotta remember to actually look at them before you start cutting.

the_eric10d ago

Ha! @colethomas that whiteboard trick is golden until someone erases it by accident lol