Electrical panel in bathroom, no renovation

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dchappy14

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Hello all,

I apologize upfront if this is in the wrong location or just a bad question. I am working with a customer and they have their electrical panel in the basement bathroom. the only other room in the basement is a bedroom and a furnace closet. The home was built in 1986 and the code saying that panelboards cannot be located in bathrooms was implemented in 1993? if i remember correctly. I am looking for the article that states that as long as the panel is not upgraded or added onto that it will be ok in its current condition and location. There are no problems at all with the electrical it just came up that if it were place there today it would not meet code.
I have left messages with the city inspectors and have not heard back from them and was hoping I could get a quicker answer here.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
The so-called (but not officially so-named) "grandfather rule" is in 80.9(B). It's in the Annex, so it may not be enforceable, unless there is a local code that enacts it.

Welcome to the forum.
 
Would you happen to know where I could find wether or not my county/state has adopted article 80. I am in Omaha, NE.

thanks again
 
ALso looking to see if there is anywhere i can access a code book from pre 1986 so that i can verify the panel being accordance of time of completion.

Thanks
 
It may well be non-compliant. But, if there is no work planned in that area, it may be allowed to remain as pre-existing, non-complying by whatever building code is in effect now. It may not have been a violation back in the '80's, although I have a sneaking suspicion that overcurrent protective devices were not permitted in bathrooms back in the eighties. :smile:
 
would there be any online publications of pre 1986 electrical code. Or any literature stating installation requirements from the period.

It seems that many of the homes on this block were built in the same manner and also have the panel in the lower level bathroom. I hope that they weren't all simply pushed through the system.

thanks again
 
Are there any online publications of pre 1986 electrical codes.

It seems that most of the houses in this sub-division were built the same way. I am hoping that they weren't pushed through the system against code. I am trying to make it to city hall as well to pull original permits from the home. Hopefully that will help.
 
Giving an inspectors opinion, you could go down to the local AHJ office and pull the address file and see if the panel and/or the bathroom were ever permitted and if they were signed off.

Just because the panel is in the bathroom doesn't mean that the bathroom existed when the panel was originally installed.
 
How about this one done about 3 years ago. Actually the panel was existing and they turned the utility room into a bathroom.

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I had one where you had to remove an access panel in the basement bathroom's shower stall to get to the panel. That's what you call industrial strength stupid.
 
Well it turns out that everything was originally built as is standing now and there is the inspection papers in the pane from the original final walkthrough. The customer is trying to sell and apparently the buyer is looking for a new city inspector to go out and sign off on the panel location. Has anyone else seen this or am I missing something here. If everything past and there aren't any renovations planned shouldn't it be ok. It looks as though they had another inspector go out and he said that it wouldn't pass code, assuming he meant that it was built today.

Are they looking at the standard inspection fees or can they get a single check on just the panel.

Thanks again
 
Looked into moving it. It is on an exterior wall. The only other rooom in the basement is a bedroom. Which, as I understand, would not be up to code because it is a room to be occupied as a sleeping residence. Unfortunately to put the panel in any other location we would have to relocate the meter as well to adjust for the max allowed distance between the two.

Rock and a hard place it feels like here
 
$$$$$$$$$$$$$

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

That's what we do, the bigger the job the more money you charge.
So put it on the ouside of the house.
If you need to refeed it. So be it.
It just occured to me you are most likely working for the seller.
Just remember when the seller has moved. You are still their with your name on the job.


Just my opinion with out knowing all the details. I have been wrong, wait now I'm wrong again.
 
mdshunk said:
I had one where you had to remove an access panel in the basement bathroom's shower stall to get to the panel. That's what you call industrial strength stupid.
Click to expand...


Almost as bad was the FPE I had to change BEHIND the bathroom medicine cabinet. Had to take the cabinet off the wall to get it out.
 
dchappy14 said:
. . . the buyer is looking for a new city inspector to go out and sign off on the panel location.
Click to expand...
There is no such thing! You don?t invite an inspector to look at an existing facility and declare it to be acceptable. You only invite an inspector to look at things that have been recently changed in accordance with a permit. No work, no permit, no inspection.

This is technically a non-issue. Yes, the installation would not meet today?s code. But it was not installed today. It can legally be left as-is.

What you have is a matter of negotiation between the buyer and the seller. Your role, as I see it, is to provide information regarding possible changes to the installation, including prices for each option. Then let the buyer and seller decide amongst themselves whether to hire you to do the work, and let them decide who will pay for it.
 
dchappy14 said:
Looked into moving it. It is on an exterior wall. The only other rooom in the basement is a bedroom. Which, as I understand, would not be up to code because it is a room to be occupied as a sleeping residence. Unfortunately to put the panel in any other location we would have to relocate the meter as well to adjust for the max allowed distance between the two.

Rock and a hard place it feels like here
Click to expand...

The NEC does not prohibit a panelboard from being placed within a bedroom as long as it meets 110.26 and other applicable sections of the code. :smile:
 
dchappy14 said:
Hello all,......

The home was built in 1986 and the code saying that panel-boards cannot be located in bathrooms was implemented in 1993? .........

Thanks
Click to expand...
Not sure when over-current devices were prohibited but,..my 1987 code book does not prohibit them from bathrooms... not in section 240 any way.

I would let it be,.. as this is not a threat to life
 
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