Disconnect (Emergency Disconnect)
A switch that cuts all power to a building or a piece of equipment. Recent code requires an outdoor emergency disconnect on new services so firefighters can kill power without entering.
Disconnects appear at three scales. The whole-house disconnect is usually the main breaker; since the 2020 NEC, new and upgraded services need one operable from outside, which is why new meter-main combos sprout levers. Equipment disconnects are the small boxes beside AC condensers, hot tubs and pool gear: a service tech must be able to kill that equipment locally, visibly, before putting hands in it.
For homeowners the practical knowledge is location: know where the main disconnect is before the night you need it, and expect any quote for AC, hot tub or generator work to include the local disconnect as a line item, because inspectors look for it.
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- Weatherhead : The hooded fitting at the top of the service mast where overhead utility wires enter your home, shaped to keep rain out of the conduit running down to the meter.
- Meter Base (Meter Socket) : The enclosure the utility's electric meter plugs into, mounted on the outside of your home.
- Service Drop & Service Lateral : The two ways utility power reaches a home: a service drop swings overhead from the pole to the weatherhead; a service lateral runs underground to the meter.
- Service Size (100 / 150 / 200 / 400 Amp) : The total amperage your home can draw from the utility, read off the main breaker.