House Keeping Pads

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ibew441dc

ibew441dc

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It is common in my area for designers, engineers, architects, contractors, etc. ,to specify elevated pads for switchgear, transformers, and other similar equipment.

As far as I can tell there is no requirement in the NEC.
Are there any building codes in any states that require housekeeping pads?

thanks

Ibew441dc
 
I don't believe that there is, they just like to keep them off the ground, just in case.

The problem is the pads keep getting higher and higher. I did some apartments awhile back and at rough I mentioned that the closets for the gear was a little high, of course they told me they hadn't finished grading yet. When I went back for final I had a six inch lip outside of the closet door with a two foot drop off to the ground below. That cost them a lot of extra concrete to pour a 3ft by 6ft pad around 15 closets.

If they are sitting flush on a little 6in pad I'm not really to worried, when it starts sticking out several inches I start worring about it being a trip hazard.

JMHO
 
One watchout is 404.8. We used to install MCC's on pads but we have since realized that any pad higher then 1" above the finished floor may cause a violation. On our MCC's of choice, if a 1X space factor disconnect is placed in the highest position, and no pad is present, the disconnect handle will be 6'6" above the finished floor surface. We have stopped installing housekeeping pads.
 
cowboyjwc said:
The problem is the pads keep getting higher and higher.

I totally agree with you on that one. I've run across transformer pads that were 12"+ , locacted indoors.

ibew441dc
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One problem I have found is when the length-width dimensions of the pad are larger than that of the equipment, (switchgear,mcc,etc.). If the pad sticks out at all in the front it violates 110.26.

I think these pads are great for "housekeeping" but do not make it easy to install large equipment.\

ibew441dc
 
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