Walk-in cooler

[skorper]

I have a customer that owns a market. He is having his walk-in cooler moved. The existing panel (220 3p) is located in a storage room. When the walk-in cooler is moved, the panel will be "in" the walk-in cooler. Is this allowable? Or do I need to move the panel to a new location outside of the cooler?

Thank you.

Steve

 

[iwire]

IMO unless the area will be subject to wash down the panel could stay.

However some people do consider the inside of walk-in coolers as damp or wet locations and if that is the case I bet your panel is not rated for either wet or damp locations.

 

[chris kennedy]

Condensation at conduit entries could be an issue, would recommend duct seal or something.

 

[mpd]

you would probably have some working space issues, is the inside of the cooler a damp location?

 

[iwire]

Condensation at conduit entries could be an issue, would recommend duct seal or something.

Actually that would be mandatory. 300.7

And I would make sure it was effective as it will bring water into the panel.

 

[Mgraw]

Is he going to cut a hole in the cooler wall to access the panel or move the panel to the inside? If you are going to move it inside then I would move it somewhere else. If you are cutting an access hole in the cooler then the whole panel is going to have condensation issues.

 

[skorper]

Thank you!

Thank you!

I just read 300.7. Thank you for this reference.
It looks like moving the panel is prefferable. But if it poses too much of a problem, I will need to seal the conduits.

Thank you very much for your quick responses.

Steve

 

[chris kennedy]

Actually that would be mandatory. 300.7

Also appearing in 230.8 and 300.5(G) depending on the install.

And I would make sure it was effective

Well duct seal in ineffective, probably why its not enforced around here.

 

[macmikeman]

Expanding foam works really well, but I do not think it is listed for the use.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Expanding foam works really well, but I do not think it is listed for the use.

Nor is it water proof. It actually absorbs water like a sponge. Eventually will waterlog and leak

 

[kwired]

Advantage of panel in cooler - no high ambient temperature problems.

Space in coolers is usually valuable space might want to make sure customer is willing to give up the required working space from the cooler.

 

[e57]

I wonder what the temper of the bakelite type plastic molded case circuit breaker is like at temps far below freezing. Or insulation for that matter? Maybe 'J-box' the old panel enclosure, and pipe back out someplace else, in stuffed - derated conduits if need be... But you would still need to seal them....

FWIW - one of the more fun mystery serice calls out there is got to be the jelly jar type fixtures full of water - either just inside - or just outside a walk in refer...

 

[dbuckley]

If there are any AFCIs or GFCI or anything else with electronics in, check they are rated t operate at that termperature. Semiconductor devices have temperature limits.

 

[iwire]

I wonder what the temper of the bakelite type plastic molded case circuit breaker is like at temps far below freezing. Or insulation for that matter? .

The OP said cooler not freezer but regardless would anyone hesitate to put a breaker panel in an unheated barn in North Dakota, or a fishing shack in Presque Isle ME?

 

[kwired]

The OP said cooler not freezer but regardless would anyone hesitate to put a breaker panel in an unheated barn in North Dakota, or a fishing shack in Presque Isle ME?

done that many times, but not in North Dakota

 

[e57]

The OP said cooler not freezer but regardless would anyone hesitate to put a breaker panel in an unheated barn in North Dakota, or a fishing shack in Presque Isle ME?

I just wondered what the low end of operation would be? Sure there are many places where it would be even colder outside - but some places where one should not drive a Fiero in winter...

 

[K8MHZ]

The OP said cooler not freezer but regardless would anyone hesitate to put a breaker panel in an unheated barn in North Dakota, or a fishing shack in Presque Isle ME?

At first I thought that was a typo.

http://www.presqueislemi.com/

It's not unusual to see panels outdoors in Michigan. We see temps from minus 20 to just under plus 100 degrees in the course of a year with high levels of winds and precipitation.

I don't know how they keep working. Some of the ones I have seen have been so corroded it would take an archaeology student to identify some of the parts. But, they keep chugging right along so I wouldn't think the environment in a cooler to be something to fret over unless it was a washdown area.

 

[Volta]

...
I don't know how they keep working. Some of the ones I have seen have been so corroded it would take an archaeology student to identify some of the parts. But, they keep chugging right along so I wouldn't think the environment in a cooler to be something to fret over unless it was a washdown area.

As long as working means able to release the spring-tension mechanism when needed.