110.26 Again

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charlie b

charlie b

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This is a follow on to this thread, with a different twist to the story:
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?p=1061526&posted=1#post1061526

New situation: Branch circuit panels are recess-mounted, in the customary manner, in a corridor wall. A large piece of art is hung over the panels, to hide them from view. Well, it's not art per se. It is a "white board," for the lab personnel to use for making annotations while discussing some technical topic. To them, I suppose the markings become art. :wink: The white board is mounted on slides. To get to the electrical panels, you slide the white board to one side.

OK, or violation?

I will mention that I am of two minds on this one.
 
I am leaning that way as well. My only concern is the mounting hardware for the white board. It will extend further from the wall than the face of the panel, and is therefore within the working space. An inspector might choose to take issue, calling that an interference. Also, on the side to which you slide the white board, the board itself would be within the working space, unless there is enough space on the other side of the panel.
 
charlie b said:
I am leaning that way as well. My only concern is the mounting hardware for the white board. It will extend further from the wall than the face of the panel, and is therefore within the working space. An inspector might choose to take issue, calling that an interference. Also, on the side to which you slide the white board, the board itself would be within the working space, unless there is enough space on the other side of the panel.
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Well, with the board slide all the way to one side you would need 30" of space measured from the edge of the board. Would you still have the 30"?
 
infinity said:
Well, with the board slide all the way to one side you would need 30" of space measured from the edge of the board. Would you still have the 30"?
Click to expand...
I can't measure directly from the floor plans, but it does appear so.
 
ronmath said:
no violation unless it extends more than 6" from the face of the panel. See 110.26(A)(3).
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This might be a stretch. The railing supporting the white board really isn't associated with the electrical installation. I think this rule is intended to cover such things as transformers located below panels.
 
ronmath said:
no violation unless it extends more than 6" from the face of the panel. See 110.26(A)(3).
Click to expand...


For that to apply the other equipment would have to be part of the electrical installation. If were talking about tracks for a sliding door I don't think that Charlie could use that to his advantage.
 
charlie b said:
This might be a stretch. The railing supporting the white board really isn't associated with the electrical installation. I think this rule is intended to cover such things as transformers located below panels.
Click to expand...


Or what Charlie said. :rolleyes:
 
It may be stretch, but so would not allowing this because of some sliding door rails. I think you could at least use the argument to a reasonable person that if 6" is allowed for a wireway to go into the working space then 1" for some rails should be ok. Some common sense is in order I think.
 
charlie b said:
I am leaning that way as well. My only concern is the mounting hardware for the white board. It will extend further from the wall than the face of the panel, and is therefore within the working space. An inspector might choose to take issue, calling that an interference. Also, on the side to which you slide the white board, the board itself would be within the working space, unless there is enough space on the other side of the panel.
Click to expand...

Charlie,

Have the Architect design (2) doors that swing open made of the white material sized large enough and then some, to cover the panels but will allow access to them when they are open.
 
It could be that you just need to get the panel signed off and then istall the white board. :D Remember it's only a violation if you get caught.

That being said I wouldn't have a problem with it either.

But always better to ask first, unlike the company that was building a bunch of condos out here and after they had framed 10 or so buildings called for rough electrical inspections and were none to happy to be notified that the 24" doors that they had framed would not work as well as the 36" doors that they had speced on the plans to enclose the recessed electrical panel.:roll:
 
charlie b said:

This might be a stretch. The railing supporting the white board really isn't associated with the electrical installation. I think this rule is intended to cover such things as transformers located below panels.
Click to expand...

Maybe we'd just need to write the text of 110.26(A)(3) out on the whiteboard in permanent marker.

Then there could be no argument about the supporting rails being associated with the electrical installation.:D
 
charlie b said:
I am leaning that way as well. My only concern is the mounting hardware for the white board. It will extend further from the wall than the face of the panel, and is therefore within the working space.
Click to expand...
Could you either (a) recess the rails into the wall itself or (b) have the panel project out from the wall a little?

Cheers, Wayne
 
charlie b said:
This is a follow on to this thread, with a different twist to the story:
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?p=1061526&posted=1#post1061526

New situation: Branch circuit panels are recess-mounted, in the customary manner, in a corridor wall. A large piece of art is hung over the panels, to hide them from view. Well, it's not art per se. It is a "white board," for the lab personnel to use for making annotations while discussing some technical topic. To them, I suppose the markings become art. :wink: The white board is mounted on slides. To get to the electrical panels, you slide the white board to one side.

OK, or violation?

I will mention that I am of two minds on this one.
Click to expand...

Seems OK, but how about thse considerations:

  • Clear space extending front and above?
  • Depth of mounting?
  • Size of access opening?
  • Is the opening positoined to provide full, unobstructed access to the panel? How about around the panel?
  • How do you access/attach connectors when adding circuits?
 
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