The area for dedicated electrical equipment indoors is 6'6'' and 30'' wide and 3' in front of equipment correct? There is a water heater and water lines in very close proxity of all those measurements and equipment. anyone had issues with inspectors or know if this would still violate the requirements for dedicated electrical space. All this is happening at service entrance area.
dedicated space
- Thread starter mannyb
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It's a bit more involved than the measurements you gave as far as working clearance over and panel itself but, generally speaking,
"close" does not count if the equipment/piping is outside the required area.
"close" does not count if the equipment/piping is outside the required area.
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
I wired a restaurant that had a "wing" or "return" wall in front of the panel, and water heater on the other side of that wall. The contractor was assuming my panel would be 4 inches deep, and put the rough wall 41 inches in front of the panel wall.
What he didn't know was I was going to mount a 6" deep panelboard on strut. By the time he drywalled that wall, it was only 33" from the front of the panel, and the inspector made him move the wall. Never said a word about it until final inspection, then "oops, this wall is too close"
What he didn't know was I was going to mount a 6" deep panelboard on strut. By the time he drywalled that wall, it was only 33" from the front of the panel, and the inspector made him move the wall. Never said a word about it until final inspection, then "oops, this wall is too close"
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Dedicated space encompasses only the width and depth of the equipment. Working space is something different.
Carultch
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
Dedicated space is space above and below the plan view space occupied by the equipment ("footprint of the equipment"), that is dedicated to the electrical installation. It prohibits foreign systems from crossing equipment such as panelboards, disconnects, and switchboards, in the space beneath the equipment to the floor, or above the equipment to the structural ceiling, or to 6 ft above the equipment if the ceiling is much higher. The intent behind dedicated space is to allow space for conduits to enter and exit the equipment in question, and to keep foreign systems from contaminating the equipment in the event of a leak. It is OK for unrelated electrical raceways to cross this space, or for other electrical equipment to be in this space, as it is dedicated to the electrical installation as a whole, just not foreign systems.
Working space is different. The intent of working space rules, is to enable a typical human body to have plenty of space available to comfortably work on the equipment. Working space is what is 6'-6" tall, 30" wide minimum, and a depth dependent on voltage and back-surface condition. Work space occurs in front of serviceable sides of the equipment, and needs to fit the virtual "refrigerator box" in front of it, that represents safe working space for a person to work. It is OK if other stuff is immediately next to these dimensions, as long as the space is clear. The only stuff that is permitted to encroach upon this space, is raceways such as wire troughs and structural supports such as housekeeping pads, that are allowed to penetrate up to 6". If your space is questionable, an inspector might check it with a tape measure to be sure it complies. If it complies, you should pass, unless there is another unrelated safety issue for why you would fail.
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