mshields
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
What, if anything, defines how far off grade a house keeping pad may or should be? How about how far that pad extends beyond the equipment. I'm thinking of concrete pads on grade - outdoors. Not inside.
Housekeeping Pads
- Thread starter mshields
- Start date
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ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
The willingness of someone to pay for it?
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
One related point that was raised about storm damage remediation is that where equipment is required to be mounted far above grade to be above the flood plane, you have to make a pad wide enough around the equipment to provide the required working space without having to stand on a ladder. Climbing a ladder to get there is fine unless you have some component which is required to be readily accessible.
See also this old thread.
Nom Deplume
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
I would have it 6" larger than the equipment on all sides without doors and about 36" larger on the door side of the equipment for working in the panel if desired.
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
- Occupation
- Electrician - but not by NC Law.
Don't forget about the bollards.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
Your question is very general. If the pad is for POCO owned xfrmrs ahead of the meter, it's under their construction standards and not subject to the NEC. Of course you'll have to take into account flood, seismic, etc.
If the pad is on the load side of the meter in an industrial facility for example, you're under the NEC. You'll still need to comply with flood, seismic, etc. and IMO you'll need to provide the same clearances required for equipment whether it's inside or outside. Can someone stand on grade and work on the equipment or is there going to be landscaping all around it? If it's going to be hidden by landscaping, I'd design it to have the required clear working spaces on the concrete.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- Semi-retired engineer
it depends. I don't know that there is a one size fits all answer for this question.
Greg1707
Senior Member
- Location
- Alexandria, VA
- Occupation
- Business owner Electrical contractor
Definition
Definition
This term is new to me. Please tell us about "housekeeping pads."
Definition
This term is new to me. Please tell us about "housekeeping pads."
- Location
- Massachusetts
In my experience it generally means a concrete pad placed for electrical gear to sit on.
It is usually about 4" high and 2" to 6" bigger on each side than the equipment.
It is nice because if there is any kind of water spill, pipe burst etc. it keeps the water from going under the equipment.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Follow the link in post #3....
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