How can I legally disguise a loadcenter in plain sight?

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Bentworker

Bentworker

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I do know is that panels need clearance of at least 30" wide and 36" deep.

Here is the application, panel (in a residence) is shown on the prints in the mud room, in clear sight as you walk in the front door. The panel will be a 42 pole Cutler Hammer with main, so it is large. The mud room has a coat closet that is going to be 3'X6', with one corner cut. What legal but crafty way would keep this panel out of plane sight?

Choices?
1)Keep it where it is.
2)Install it in the coat closet if legal (would mean the loss of a ton of storage)
3)Keep it where it is and trim the panel out (& install decorative cabinet door) to match the bench in the mud room.
4)Keep it where it is and install funky box like CH "decorator" style cover

Is it even legal to install a cabinet style door? I know that Cutler Hammer produces decorator style doors that are supposed to accept wallpaper or paint, but I would really like to trim it all out with wood and end up with a nice looking mud room where the focus isn't the nearly 4' tall sub panel.

Thanks for any and all advice.
Peter
 
Bentworker said:
I do know is that panels need clearance of at least 30" wide and 36" deep.

Here is the application, panel (in a residence) is shown on the prints in the mud room, in clear sight as you walk in the front door. The panel will be a 42 pole Cutler Hammer with main, so it is large. The mud room has a coat closet that is going to be 3'X6', with one corner cut. What legal but crafty way would keep this panel out of plane sight?

Choices?
1)Keep it where it is.
2)Install it in the coat closet if legal (would mean the loss of a ton of storage)
3)Keep it where it is and trim the panel out (& install decorative cabinet door) to match the bench in the mud room.
4)Keep it where it is and install funky box like CH "decorator" style cover

Is it even legal to install a cabinet style door? I know that Cutler Hammer produces decorator style doors that are supposed to accept wallpaper or paint, but I would really like to trim it all out with wood and end up with a nice looking mud room where the focus isn't the nearly 4' tall sub panel.

Thanks for any and all advice.
Peter
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I don't believe you can install a cabinet door around the panel and be code compliant nor can you put it in a coat closet.

Have you thought about a picture over it? You can paint the panel.. If you do some faux painting the panel would disappear-- just don't paint the cover so it sticks to the wall.
 
Bentworker said:
2)Install it in the coat closet if legal (would mean the loss of a ton of storage)
Click to expand...
Welcome to the Forum Peter and rule this one out.

240.24(D) Not in Vicinity of Easily Ignitible Material. Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, such as in clothes closets.
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Edit: Didn't know Dennis was already awake.
 
chris kennedy said:
Welcome to the Forum Peter and rule this one out.

240.24(D) Not in Vicinity of Easily Ignitible Material. Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material.
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Wouldn't that leave out every location inside a dwelling? :roll:
 
stickboy1375 said:
Wouldn't that leave out every location inside a dwelling? :roll:
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Of course it would but that seems to get lost in the thought process.


Just install it in an electrical closet. Problem solved.

Why not just put the panel somewhere else where it won't be staring you in the face as you walk in the door? Is this a one room house??
 
I dont mean to sound like a wise guy, but why not just install it as the print says? it sounds like your just making an yourself an issue.
 
ultramegabob said:
I dont mean to sound like a wise guy, but why not just install it as the print says? it sounds like your just making an yourself an issue.
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Kind of my thought as well.

If they took the time to have a print drawn why not just follow it?

You might suggest the HO pick out some artwork, pictures, wall hangings etc that could hide the panel.
 
ultramegabob said:
I dont mean to sound like a wise guy, but why not just install it as the print says? it sounds like your just making an yourself an issue.
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I disagree.

This is exactly the kind of cutomer service that would put you a step above the rest.
 
Bentworker said:
3)Keep it where it is and trim the panel out (& install decorative cabinet door) to match the bench in the mud room. Is it even legal to install a cabinet style door?
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Dennis Alwon said:
I don't believe you can install a cabinet door around the panel and be code compliant. . . .
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I don?t quite understand what you mean by the term ?cabinet door,? so therefore I don?t understand why you (Dennis) think it would not be legal. Would this be something just slightly larger than the panel itself, not extending all the way to the floor, constructed so as to swing closed and completely hide the panel, and constructed so as to swing open and expose the panel? If so, can it not be built in such a way that when fully open it does not take up any of the required working clearance room? For example, if this cabinet door is 30 or more inches wide, and if it extends just a half inch away from the wall, so that with the panel itself being flush with the wall surface, the door can close over it without hitting it, I think you can still have the required clearance space.
 
charlie b said:


I don?t quite understand what you mean by the term ?cabinet door,? so therefore I don?t understand why you (Dennis) think it would not be legal. Would this be something just slightly larger than the panel itself, not extending all the way to the floor, constructed so as to swing closed and completely hide the panel, and constructed so as to swing open and expose the panel? If so, can it not be built in such a way that when fully open it does not take up any of the required working clearance room? For example, if this cabinet door is 30 or more inches wide, and if it extends just a half inch away from the wall, so that with the panel itself being flush with the wall surface, the door can close over it without hitting it, I think you can still have the required clearance space.
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The cabinet door is something I've done on many occasions, and no inspector has ever given it a thumbs down. In fact, some have commented on the ingenuity.

As long as the door opens to reveal the entire panel cover (screws and all), it would be no different that putting the panel behind an open bedroom door.
 
480sparky said:
As long as the door opens to reveal the entire panel cover (screws and all), it would be no different that putting the panel behind an open bedroom door.
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That is what I thought. Actually, I had in mind, as a point of comparison, an "electrical closet" that is only about 6 inches deep. When you open the door(s), the working clearance extends all the way to the wall behind you. I think you should be able to build a door that covers only the panel, not extending to the floor, that meets this same design criterion.
 
480sparky said:
The cabinet door is something I've done on many occasions, and no inspector has ever given it a thumbs down. In fact, some have commented on the ingenuity.

As long as the door opens to reveal the entire panel cover (screws and all), it would be no different that putting the panel behind an open bedroom door.
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I don't see the harm but IMO if the door is not 30" wide or more it is imposable to comply with 110.26.

Again I don't see the harm.
 
iwire said:
I don't see the harm but IMO if the door is not 30" wide or more it is imposable to comply with 110.26.

Again I don't see the harm.
Click to expand...

Why would the door need to be a mimimum of 30"? Most resi tubs are designed for a 16" stud cavity, so they're 14?". The doors are typically 16" wide, so a 20" cabinet door would cover it. Heighth would depend on the panel itself.
 
480sparky said:
Why would the door need to be a mimimum of 30"? Most resi tubs are designed for a 16" stud cavity, so they're 14?". The doors are typically 16" wide, so a 20" cabinet door would cover it. Heighth would depend on the panel itself.
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Again let me say I don't see an actual problem. :smile:

But code wise the face of the panel has to be flush or proud of the surrounding surface for 30" in width regardless of the panel width.

Lets say you have closet 24" deep and 24" wide. Could you put a 14.5" wide panel on the back wall of that closet?
 
480sparky said:
Why would the door need to be a mimimum of 30" (wide)?
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It wouldn't necessarily. But the hinged side will necessarily extend in front of the panel face by some amount. Even if that is but an inch, the hinges will be in the working space. So you will need a clear space to start at the hinged point, and go across the front of the panel, and go beyond the panel to a total distance of 30 inches from the hinges. If the door is 30 inches wide, then this will be achieved, since the door wouldn't close if something were in the way. If not, then there must be nothing on that side of the panel within the 30 inch space.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Have you thought about a picture over it? You can paint the panel.. If you do some faux painting the panel would disappear--
Click to expand...

I spent a good while looking for the panel one time and finally had to ask the homeowner where it was. She pointed to the wall and said, "it's right there."

I still didn't see it. "Uh, show me please, I'm dense."

She walked up to it and opened the door to a nice portrait of horses grazing in a meadow, and trees, and montains, and a lake....opend the door and holy cow! Circuit breakers.

She was an artist and painted the panel cover as a work of art. If I hand't asked....I might still be looking for it.

Very creative. Hated to have to marr the portrait by removing the panel screws. :cool:
 
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