Access to Disconnect

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Little Bill

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
If you have a row of storage buildings (20' x 50') and each unit only has (1) light/switch and (1) receptacle, would it be required that the tenants have access to the panel or disconnect?
The 1st unit will be owner occupied where the main service will be and each unit fed off of that.
 

charlie b

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Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
My take is that a storage building does not have "tenants," nor for that matter "occupants," so the rule requiring access to overcurrent devices does not apply. I believe the intent of that rule is that if I am watching football and something causes the circuit to trip, I need to be able to reset it without knocking on a neighbor's door. In this instance, if something causes the circuit that powers the light in my storage unit to trip, I don't see the same level of need. Sure, I would have to bother the owner, and the owner might not be in the vicinity, but still the worst is that I would need to use a flashlight to see inside my storage unit.
 

MAC702

Senior Member
Location
Clark County, NV
Here, right or wrong, even if the space was built with a light and switch, they tell you in the lease that they do not have to maintain it and if it doesn't work, you have no recourse.
 

Little Bill

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Thanks all!

I was pretty sure that the "renters" didn't need access but the owner wanted to make sure before he put the panel in his unit.
 
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