Sub panel location violation

[brother]

Well, I have heard of worse locations, but this just bugs me. had to change out a breaker on a subpanel. The location of this 50 or 60 subpanel was installed in a lower cabinet a expresso stand. No, the espresso stand is not on wheels or portable, its a 'permanent' structure . they have water tanks and other things in front of it. no head room at all!! there are only a few circuits that are from this subpanel.

Another electrician tells me this was installed 10yrs ago, but I said even 10yrs ago it was a code violation to install it like this. And why would anyone want to do this especially when they have to maintain it Any one still have a code book from 10yrs ago. Ok I'm done venting.

 

[iwire]

It is a very good chance that it is a factory made and listed unit.

The NEC would not apply to the panel locations.

 

[alfredjoaquin]

May be both of the electricians are correct considering the issues.It can't be decided exactly.

 

[brother]

It is a very good chance that it is a factory made and listed unit.

The NEC would not apply to the panel locations.

no, it was NOT factory made that way

 

[jetlag]

how about this one

how about this one

I went under a house to find why current was not making it to a bed room , and there it was on the ground , a 100a interior panel being feed by a 10/2 nm with 2 breakers inside . they didnt use wire clamps anywhere and the feeder shorted out because it was so tight it had one end of the box raised up couple inches off the ground. It was wet under there from leaking shower and only 18 " crawl space. Never figured out why they did that the two spaces they used in the main panel could have been the 2 , 15a breakers.

 

[iwire]

no, it was NOT factory made that way

Then that is a violation but do you mind if I ask why you are so sure of that?

 

[cowboyjwc]

We have a bunch of coffe places here in town and most of them have the same thing that you describe, sort of. The cabinet door simply covers the panel and all of the clearances are met, and yes they are factory installed.

I did have one on a cook line that was all the way in the back of a stainless steel cabinet and they told me that it was UL approved. When I called UL I was told that it was not UL approved because that was one of the corrections that UL had. The gentleman from UL told me they asked the customer if they were listing it as a cookline or as a creamatorium, since that's probably what would happen if anyone got caught in there.

 

[brother]

Then that is a violation but do you mind if I ask why you are so sure of that?

Well, Mainly because of the people that has been working there for over 10yrs says so because they saw it installed that way. Also you can look at how the stand was built and know this panel was 'installed' there by someone else and not a factory. The 'stand' is not a one piece unit you buy.

 

[Buck Parrish]

I bid in a coffee stand. One of those that sit in a parking lot. The prints showed the panel inside the lower cabinet, too.
I didn't do the job so I don't know what ever happened.

 

[Cow]

The BK and Taco Bell here both have panels hidden in cabinets under the countertops. They were probably factory installed though....