Powering an Apartment Grow - Panel Replacement

The Story ----- I have a canadian government issued medical marijuana license that is currently the subject of a supreme court injunction which makes it impossible for me to move and keep my license. I am permitted to grow about 50 plants but only in my own home which is a 1 bedroom apartment. I do not own the apartment but the law stipulates I do not have to inform my landlord, who would certainly refuse, as this is my primary domicile. I want to update my electrical panel in order to convert the bedroom into a grow room.

The panel that i have now is very old, has two 3" long large fuses (40 amp and 60 amp) and 4 smaller glass fuses (15 amps per) which are fit in the panel with a threaded light-bulb like fitting. From what I can see it is a 100 amp panel with 40 amps in what I assume is 220 going to the stove and 60 amps for the rest of the place.

I do have some residential electrical experience from doing some renovations at my job but I have never installed or replaced a panel.

I want to equip myself appropriately (gloves? boots? both?) and replace the panel while the power is on. I do not have access to a further shutoff. I want to install a panel with the same or more power, a single point shut off and modern breakers with the same 100 amps or more if possible.

I recognize that this may be an involved task and for the right kind of detailed help I am willing to compensate the right person for their time and troubles in some way, btc or whatever other deal we might strike.

Any advice on how to do this properly and safely would be much appreciated.

Hire a professional. A live panel is nothing to fool with. PS: Pulling the meter will shut off power to the panel.

I've never seen a sparky wire a 240V panel while hot. Any reason why you can't access the main disconnect for your apartment? If I had to do things "hot" I would simply opt to buy a portable power box, Like the ones in a construction jobsite. Plug in to 220.. You could either run about 4-6 1 KW lights off that box, and it has breakers built in. What really is the problem is that you dont own the property, I'm sure that you would need some type of consent to modify the existing electrical. I know I had to get consent just to install additional cable service.

Ya might have to get a propane stove to do some cooking on, not really a huge problem, I kinda like cooking on gas stoves.. heats up faster.. etc...

I'm not a sparky.. so I really wont comment on actual panel wiring.

I had that same old Panel in my house (circa1890's)

REPLACE THE WIRE. not just the panel.

most likely its cotton-sheathed, tin cased wires. They get really hot, I wouldn't risk a high power grow to those wires.

Im not telling you what to do but I've seen this stuff happen before.

Most old wooden buildings are ballon-frame so if a wire gets really hot/shorts/sparks. That fire will crawl right up the walls. Fully-Involved

GrowerGoneWild said:

I've never seen a sparky wire a 240V panel while hot. Any reason why you can't access the main disconnect for your apartment? If I had to do things "hot" I would simply opt to buy a portable power box, Like the ones in a construction jobsite. Plug in to 220.. You could either run about 4-6 1 KW lights off that box, and it has breakers built in. What really is the problem is that you dont own the property, I'm sure that you would need some type of consent to modify the existing electrical. I know I had to get consent just to install additional cable service.

Ya might have to get a propane stove to do some cooking on, not really a huge problem, I kinda like cooking on gas stoves.. heats up faster.. etc...

I'm not a sparky.. so I really wont comment on actual panel wiring.

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This is actually not a bad idea and I considered it, but its a lot of patch work on an old wiring system.