mbrooke
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- United States
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- Technician
Until what year were electrical panels allowed in residential closets?
Electrical panel in closet
- Thread starter mbrooke
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- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Not sure but there are many thoughts on this issue. I have heard a cmp member say that depending on the location of the panel in a closet it may be allowed. He was specifically thinking of behind a door where there would not be any clothing nearby
When did it become illegal ?
Now, if you want to talk about overcurrent protection
Earliest book I have on hand is '93.. OCP was not allowed in the vicinity of easily ignitable material such as in clothes closets at that Code. Unsure about earlier.'
and..I agree with Dennis,... there is some "wiggle room" in interpretation.
Now, if you want to talk about overcurrent protection
Earliest book I have on hand is '93.. OCP was not allowed in the vicinity of easily ignitable material such as in clothes closets at that Code. Unsure about earlier.'
and..I agree with Dennis,... there is some "wiggle room" in interpretation.
mbrooke
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- United States
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- Technician
Was there wiggle room back in the day or was it allowed at one point?
mwm1752
Senior Member
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- Aspen, Colo
NEC 1965 240-16 ( C ) Not in the vicinity of easialy ignitible material -- bet there was arguement about clothes closet then -- NEC 1981 first mention of clothes closet
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
I think there still is "wiggle" room. The rule says not in the vicinity of easily ignitable material such as in clothes closets . The words I made bold are the actual rule, the "such as in clothes closets" is just an example of where the panel may be in the vicinity of easily ignitable material>
The 78 code just said, "not in the vicinity of easily ignitable material". The words "such as in clothes closets" were added for the 81 code. The handbook cometary for the 81 code says that the new word is an example of a location that may have "easily ignitable material".
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
Which is why so many of them are in garages, the only place in the house that has a required fire wall. Go figure.
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Well at least if the panel has a spark and ignites something in the garage , there is a firewall protecting the home.
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
I have this situation in my home built in 1955. No inspection when built. I found a copy of a 1950's code book here...http://www.lindahall.org/. It just states "Electrical panels shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitable material" or similar verbiage. Isn't "Clothes closet" mentioned specifically in todays code ?
mbrooke
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- United States
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- Technician
Ok that make sense. So in theory an AHJ could pass a clothes closet panel in an older home, since "vicinity of easily ignitable material" is debatable.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
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- United States
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- Technician
John120/240
Senior Member
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- Olathe, Kansas
I couldn't find the link
http://www.lindahall.org/ They have one of the largest collections of sciencetifc & technical publications in the U.S.
mbrooke
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- United States
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kwired
Electron manager
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- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
There is never any easily ignitable materials in a garage, except maybe gasoline for the lawnmower, paint, paint thinner, wood, rags, trash receptacles, containers with flammable liquids or gases inside of them.....
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Well I can't remember the last panel I have put in a garage. Must be 20 years or so.
I put the main/meter outside and a sub in a hallway or mech room.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Yes but it says in areas such as clothes closets---that does not necessarily mean that anywhere in the closet is not accessible. In reality most inspectors will probably turn it down so it is best to avoid the area
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
There is no restriction of a overcurrent devices installed in a closet of any structure.
There is a restriction as Don posted, of overcurrent devices installed in closets that may have "easily ingnitible material."
A clothes closet is an example.
Lets say a service is to be installed in a room within a dwelling.
They decide they do not want to see the service equipment, so they build a "closet" around it. This would be permitted as long as the requirements of 110.26 are met.
Lets not forget that most sheetrock today has a fire rating. So it would not qualify as "easily ignitible."
There is a restriction as Don posted, of overcurrent devices installed in closets that may have "easily ingnitible material."
A clothes closet is an example.
Lets say a service is to be installed in a room within a dwelling.
They decide they do not want to see the service equipment, so they build a "closet" around it. This would be permitted as long as the requirements of 110.26 are met.
Lets not forget that most sheetrock today has a fire rating. So it would not qualify as "easily ignitible."
sandsnow
Senior Member
- Location
- Southern California
In CA mobile homes, if you build a cupboard in the clothes closet, you can put a panel in the cupboard. There thousands with that condition. IDK about right now, but in the past it was standard practice.
My thoughts are in regard to the space available in front of the panel as well as how to even find the main disconnecting means if located in a closet.
I had a surface mount service entrance main panel located in a lower level great room where it would have been tacky to leave it exposed. As such it was neatly framed around to fit the width of the panel pluse enough extra surface area to the right for cable and phone utilities. The opening was cased out to just below the panel and doors were custom built to match the rest of the doors.
It looked awesome with plenty is panel access. My only concern was how to locate the panel in the event the main needed the be disconnected.
There also was a sub panel located in the garage with a main breaker. As so it was not to be confused to be the service entrance it was prominately labeled on the outside as a sub panel.
I had a surface mount service entrance main panel located in a lower level great room where it would have been tacky to leave it exposed. As such it was neatly framed around to fit the width of the panel pluse enough extra surface area to the right for cable and phone utilities. The opening was cased out to just below the panel and doors were custom built to match the rest of the doors.
It looked awesome with plenty is panel access. My only concern was how to locate the panel in the event the main needed the be disconnected.
There also was a sub panel located in the garage with a main breaker. As so it was not to be confused to be the service entrance it was prominately labeled on the outside as a sub panel.
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