tops or bottoms

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Most of the time I level the tops, but I might do somthing differnt if I thought it would look better another way. Why do I choose to do it that way? probly because that is how I was trained to do it back in the day and old habits die hard:grin:
 
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mcelweec@gmail.com said:
just curiosity,when setting up a row of panels with various sizes,what's your preference,bottoms or tops in a line and why?
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Normally tops. However I will make exceptions, like if a trough is on the bottom and lining up the tops would put me at more than 24" from the wire-way on a smaller panel then ... ... ...
 
Tops....it's easier to leave the 2' level on top than have to hold it from underneath :grin:
 
I prefer lining up the centers.

Not really, the vast majority of the time we line up the tops. One problem with this is that if there is a large difference in panel sizes with a trough on the bottom, some of the nipples may need to be longer than 24" and some picky inspectors will look at conductor fill. (What's the difference between a 24 inch vertical pipe and a 35 inch one?)

I did have an inspector let me slide on some 35 inch nipples. He felt the same way I did, plus this was already a crowded run and more pipe would have been a pain. BTW, the panels on this job were pre-installed, tops in line, so I had to make the nipples longer instead of lowering a panel.
 
Well tops always 6 ft 6 inches to the top of all panels in electrical rooms .

Most jobs we do the specs call it out that way if a larger distribution panel say 72 inches high or more its 4 inches off the floor at bottom always .
 
if its surface mount over a trough, I put the bottoms at the same height.


If flush mounted in a wall, I put all the cover handles at the same height.
 
Well heres 6 foot 6 inches to the top this is a tight spaced room clearance is 48 inches in front of transformer & panels are 120 /208 .http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/stringking/P1010041_01.jpg

If we have a gutter or wireway below its still 6 foot 6 inches to the top .

If the cans or tubs are different in size the tops line up and the bottoms are closer to the floor we even add extra conduits in the tops or bottoms to make them look the same .

The specs on most jobs ask us to add one spare conduit in each panel for 3 spare breakers most get two to four spares.

We try to install the feeders in the middle and add the branch on each side evenly .
 
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