Disconnect switch door impeding clearances

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Tainted

Tainted

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New York
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Engineer (PE)
It has been established that a regular door impeding clearances is not a violation, but what if the door is electrically related like a disconnect switch door?

I am specifying a 208Y/120V, 1200A service switch which will feed (4) 600A standalone disconnect switches. Polaris connectors will be used to tap the power for the 600A switches.

All (4) disconnect switches will be next to each other as close as possible. If the disconnect switch door opens and impedes the clearance of the neighboring disconnect switch or panelboard, is that a violation?

Bonus question: If I have two disconnect switches facing in front of each other with correct clearance, but the disconnect switch door impedes the clearance of the disconnect switch in front of it, is that a violation?
 
They added this to 110.26(C)(2) in the 2020 code.
Open equipment doors shall not impede the entry to or egress from the working space.
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In the 2023 this was moved to the parent text of 110.26 to apply to all equipment, not just large equipment as it did in the 2020.
Open equipment doors shall not impede access to and egress from the working space. Access or egress is impeded if one or more simultaneously opened equipment doors restrict working space access to be less than 610 mm (24 in.) wide and 2.0 m (61⁄2 ft) high.
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There is some additional information in this thread
 
Jraef said:
Huh. Then wouldn’t every switchgear and MCC door will be a violation?
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Very likely they will be under the 2023 code if you are using the minimum work spaces permitted by Table 110.26(A). That is why my comment in the other thread said that this rule could double the required size of electrical rooms.
 
But I think the original question is more about working space than entry and egress. And most areas aren't under the 20 or 23 yet.

IMO, if a door that swings open more than 90 degrees, and that blocks the workspace in front of another disconnect or panel, I don't think that's a violation.

The door can just be closed since maintenance is normally just one panel or disconnect at a time.
 
steve66 said:
But I think the original question is more about working space than entry and egress. And most areas aren't under the 20 or 23 yet.

IMO, if a door that swings open more than 90 degrees, and that blocks the workspace in front of another disconnect or panel, I don't think that's a violation.

The door can just be closed since maintenance is normally just one panel or disconnect at a time.
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The code language assumes worst case and the egress path is measured with doors on both sides open at the same time. Note that is also the assumption of Table 110.26(A) as equipment across from each other is Condition 3, even where all of the equipment has dead front covers.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
They added this to 110.26(C)(2) in the 2020 code.

In the 2023 this was moved to the parent text of 110.26 to apply to all equipment, not just large equipment as it did in the 2020.

There is some additional information in this thread
Click to expand...
what if egress is kept clear however the disconnect switch door just opens and swings in front of a neighboring disconnect switch?
 
steve66 said:
But I think the original question is more about working space than entry and egress. And most areas aren't under the 20 or 23 yet.

IMO, if a door that swings open more than 90 degrees, and that blocks the workspace in front of another disconnect or panel, I don't think that's a violation.

The door can just be closed since maintenance is normally just one panel or disconnect at a time.
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Yea you nailed it, that was my question. Anybody else has any thoughts?
 
Somehow, I don't get the feeling the intent of the new code language was to make it so you can't put two disconnects right next to each other. It doesn't say that doors of other equipment can't swing into the working space. If I'm wrong, then we'll never again be able to put two disconnects closer to each other than 30" o.c.

I'm imagining a situation where the working space is bare minimum depth and the equipment doors are as wide as that is deep. I would say that would "impede the entry to or egress from the working space".
 
I agree with Joe. Side by side disconnects and side by side panels have never been a problem, and I don't think that's changed even with the additions to the 2023 code.

To Don's point, we are going to have to get the Architects used to programming in the larger space that will be needed for electrical equipment and egress path . Too often we just get some small left over corner somewhere that's not large enough to do anything else with.
 
JoeStillman said:
Somehow, I don't get the feeling the intent of the new code language was to make it so you can't put two disconnects right next to each other. It doesn't say that doors of other equipment can't swing into the working space. If I'm wrong, then we'll never again be able to put two disconnects closer to each other than 30" o.c.

I'm imagining a situation where the working space is bare minimum depth and the equipment doors are as wide as that is deep. I would say that would "impede the entry to or egress from the working space".
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It is not that the door can't swing into the workspace...the issue is a door that only opens to 90° and with that door open, the egress path is less than 24" wide.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
It is not that the door can't swing into the workspace...the issue is a door that only opens to 90° and with that door open, the egress path is less than 24" wide.
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I was interpreting the OP's "clearance", as 110.26(A)(2) "working space", meaning "30" wide", instead of "egress from the working space", as in 110.26(C), i.e. "I gotta get out of this room right now!" egress.
 
augie47 said:
The end result will be wider electrical with more space for the occupants to store product, cleaning supplies, etc. :)
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Whaaaat? Do people do that?

🤥

Clutter-in-Electrical-Room-300x178.jpg
 
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