Existing 100 Amp Panel with Obstruction!

[Bchap7x]

I got a job to replace an existing 100 amp panel board in the basement of a residential house. The panel is mounted roughly 6 feet high, and has a small water heater mounted underneath of the panel (obstruction/clearance issue). All ckts were entered into the top & sides of the panel, and aren't blocked by the water heater. There is plenty of work space to work on the panel as of now. There will also be plenty of working space IF i can put the new panel in the same spot that the existing panel is in. My question is because I am replacing an existing panel with a new one, do I have to move it further down the wall to avoid it being mounted above the water heater the way the existing panel was??? My concern Is I don't believe the Utility would provide a longer length of cable from the meter to the new panel unless the AHJ states that I need to. I thought the NEC provided exceptions for installs such as this, but for the life of me I can't find them in my 2011 Code book......and I would really like a code article to present to an inspector if I am in fact permitted to install a new panel in the same spot as an existing one. Any ideas?? Code articles???

 

[Dennis Alwon]

IMO, if you install a new panel in place of an existing one it must be code standards. You can check with the ahj.

BTW, why would the power company supply the wire from the meter to the panel? That is not in their scope of the work.

 

[Bchap7x]

Oops! I didn't mean to type it in that way. What I meant to say is i'm basically trying to avoid moving the existing panel because I would have to extend the wires of all the branch ckts, plus have to run a new SE line. So if i do in fact have to move the panel, then yes i'd need a new SE line from the meter to new panel spot. I just could have sworn in an existing condition you could put a new panel in the same spot the existing panel was in without an issues, because it is in an existing location.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Oops! I didn't mean to type it in that way. What I meant to say is i'm basically trying to avoid moving the existing panel because I would have to extend the wires of all the branch ckts, plus have to run a new SE line. So if i do in fact have to move the panel, then yes i'd need a new SE line from the meter to new panel spot. I just could have sworn in an existing condition you could put a new panel in the same spot the existing panel was in without an issues, because it is in an existing location.

That is an ahj call. Around here it wouldn't fly but it may there

 

[kwired]

Maybe the water heater would be better to move if it is only thing creating clearance problems.

 

[bobbymari]

could you not move new panel a few feet away to clear obstruction and just use existing as a jbox, pretty comman practice, are these actual service entry conductors or a sub feed?

 

[Smart $]

Maybe the water heater would be better to move if it is only thing creating clearance problems.

That's what I was thinking while reading up to the point of your post...

 

[infinity]

If you're in New Jersey the new panel can go right back where the existing panel is currently installed. This would fall under the rehab code. I'll see if I can dig up the reference.

 

[Bchap7x]

Yea I thought it would fall under the Rehab code.....I just never had to deal with that issue before and wasn't sure if it would fit into that or not. Either way, thanks for the replies. And yes they are the main SE cables, not a sub feed.

 

[JES2727]

Yea I thought it would fall under the Rehab code.....I just never had to deal with that issue before and wasn't sure if it would fit into that or not. Either way, thanks for the replies. And yes they are the main SE cables, not a sub feed.

I agree with mr. infinity.
In NJ the rehab code allows you to put the new panel in the same spot as the old one.