Top or Bottom?

[hurk27]

So what you are really asking for is perfection from a few sentences to cover all possible installations.

No just some clarification to stop some inspectors from twisting things like this into a problem that some of us don't want to have to deal with, and as you can see it wouldn't take much to turn this into a problem for some as it really is not clearly written to not include certain applications, sure common sense would depict other wise but then how many use common sense when interpreting code? already we have inspector expecting GFCI's to be right at simple approach levels so one could just walk up to it to hit the test button, but we have cases where this just does not follow common sense in applications as I mention above.

 

[iwire]

So it has been this way with OCPDs for many code cycles but now that GFCIs have been included it is a problem?

Sorry I just don't see it and I hate talking about code changes based on what might turn out to be an issue.

In other words I like to find solutions to problems, not make solutions and then look for a problems to apply them too.

 

[kwired]

So what you are really asking for is perfection from a few sentences to cover all possible installations.

Actually kind of sort of YES. Is what is already there clear enough - seems like it is but then we get all kinds of people that want to bend what it says to meet their wants or needs. If it can be interpreted in a way that allows installations that were not intended by the panel that made the particular code section then it must not have been clear enough.

I am not trying to be a PITA I am trying to sort things out and get some peoples opinions here. Why is it acceptable to call a breaker readily accessible if there is a lock on the door of the cabinet it is in yet a GFCI behind a removable panel of a whirlpool tub is not readily accessible? NEC does not really say either one is readily accessible yet some of us think one is and the other is not, and this obviously is not always consistant from one AHJ to another how they are going to treat it.