30" Dedicated Work Width Violation?

Mr. Pickle

Member
Location
Rogers MN
Occupation
Electrical
Wondering if this is a violation of the required 30" working space width. See attached image. Both Enclosure 1 and 2 are electrical equipment. Enclosure 2 is deeper than enclosure 1. The distance to the wall from enclosure 2 is only 26". Working space width can overlap enclosure enclosures, but does this apply if one of the enclosures is deeper than the other? Is there a violation here with the 30" working space rule for enclosure 1?
 

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don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Violation. The permission for other electrical equipment to extend up to 6" into the work space only applies to the height of the workspace and not to the width.
 

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
Work space can overlap each other as long as equipment doors don't block access to working space. Drawing as another potential issue, the one piece of equipment looks to extend more than 6 inches depth past the other.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Odd, and the reason I am always looking and learning. I thought 110.26 applied. I have seen many time where something like a contactor or horizontal wireway is in that space to the side. I looked an came to the same conclusion as Don before I cam back an saw his comment.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Can the two enclosures be swapped? If not, can #1 be brought out by the difference in depth?
 

Mr. Pickle

Member
Location
Rogers MN
Occupation
Electrical
Wondering if this is a violation of the required 30" working space width. See attached image. Both Enclosure 1 and 2 are electrical equipment. Enclosure 2 is deeper than enclosure 1. The distance to the wall from enclosure 2 is only 26". Working space width can overlap enclosure enclosures, but does this apply if one of the enclosures is deeper than the other? Is there a violation here with the 30" working space rule for enclosure 1?
Should clarify perhaps that the image is a top down view, or a floor plan view and not an elevation view. (Floor is not shown, it is just the corner walls of a room)
 

Mr. Pickle

Member
Location
Rogers MN
Occupation
Electrical
Violation. The permission for other electrical equipment to extend up to 6" into the work space only applies to the height of the workspace and not to the width.
Don, Can you point me in the direction of where this is identified in the NEC? Doors still open 90 degree or better.
 

wwhitney

Senior Member
Location
Berkeley, CA
Occupation
Retired
Don, Can you point me in the direction of where this is identified in the NEC? Doors still open 90 degree or better.
The only allowance for other electrical equipment in the working space is found in 110.26(A)(3), which says "Within the height requirements of this section, other equipment that is associated with the electrical installation and is located above or below the electrical equipment shall be permitted to extend not more than 150 mm (6 in.) beyond the front of the electrical equipment."

So I think Don's point is that the part about "located above or below" the electrical equipment implies that the full width and depth of the working space must be clear of obstacles between the top of the equipment and the bottom of the equipment. I.e. it doesn't say "located above, below, or to the side".

Now on the off chance that the top of enclosure 2 is below the bottom of enclosure 1, or vice versa, then the arrangement would comply with the text of the allowance (edit: assuming the difference in enclosure depths is 6" or less).

Cheers, Wayne
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
It potentially could. I was wondering if the 30" width rule would be violated if an enclosure of a larger depth would be mounted next to it.
if the deeper cabinet is in the 26" space, the installation would be compliant assuming the the lesser depth cabinet has a full 30" measured from the deeper on.
 
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