door between two electric rooms

[mshields]

If you've got a door between two electric rooms, how do you remedy the fact that it will open "in" to one of the two rooms?

Mike

 

[Rockyd]

Any possibility in eliminating the door, and it be a passage way?

More information would help as to where doors are, in relation to panic hardware required.

 

[mshields]

Not possible

Not possible

one of the two rooms is a 2 hour rated emergency elec rm

 

[hillbilly1]

I have seen this once before, the local jurisdiction required the transfer switch and panels for the emergency lighting to be in a seperate room. Since the door was the only egress out of the room, and egress from the main electrical room was not through there. It swings out into the main electrical room. I think that rule was put in place so that in an emergency, people would not pile up against a door that swings in from the exit. So if you had to escape from the second electrical room, you would open out, then open out again from the first electrical room to the safe area.

 

[charlie b]

Most of the time, there is no reason that a door to an electrical room can't swing into the room. I don't like to tell that to architects, however, so let's keep it our own little secret.

This is a bit tricky, and I am not sure I have it right. So someone please check me. I think that in the 2005 NEC, you only need the door to swing out when you have "large equipment," a term meaning rated at 1200 amps or more and containing overcurrent devices. In 2008, any door that is within 25 feet of the entrance to, or path of egress from, the required working clearance, must open outwards and have panic hardware.

 

[charlie b]

I have seen this once before, the local jurisdiction required the transfer switch and panels for the emergency lighting to be in a seperate room.

Isn't that a requirement of NFPA 101 (or is it 100, or 110? I have a copy at my office desk, but not at home)?

 

[hillbilly1]

Isn't that a requirement of NFPA 101 (or is it 100, or 110? I have a copy at my office desk, but not at home)?

Could be, Lowes puts theirs in a closet inside the electrical room, but Depot normally has it in the same room unless they have changed it recently. The one I was writing about was a Depot that was built around 95-96. The ones built since did not have it, at least in Georgia.

 

[Volta]

This is a bit tricky, and I am not sure I have it right. So someone please check me. I think that in the 2005 NEC, you only need the door to swing out when you have "large equipment," a term meaning rated at 1200 amps or more and containing overcurrent devices. In 2008, any door that is within 25 feet of the entrance to, or path of egress from, the required working clearance, must open outwards and have panic hardware.

In 2008 the min size entrance and egress (24" x 78") is required for equipment 1200 amps or more and over 6 ft. (C)(2) 2008

If a door is installed in the intended entrance to and egress from the working space, and the door is within 25' of the working space, and the equipment (of any size) is 1200 amps or more, it must have the panic hardware and swing out. (C)(3) 2008

If another door is within 25' but leads away from the direction of egress, IMO it need not swing out from the first room.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

As has been mentioned, if in the '05 NEC the door to the room may not be the door to the "working space". It will have to be determined by the OP.


Lets not forget that the building code may come into play. If the corrodor outside of the electric room is a means of egress, then it is going to be difficult to see if one can pass those inspections as well.