How can I legally disguise a loadcenter in plain sight?

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charlie b said:

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.
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I see your point. But in resi mud room, the 30" is going to be cluttered with something, regardless of our efforts. There's going to be a shelf on the wall above the panel, coat hooks on one side, a key rack and a broom holder on the other, and either a bench to sit on or a shoe rack below it.
 
480sparky said:
But in resi mud room, the 30" is going to be cluttered with something, regardless of our efforts.
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Then you have a problem. My suggestion would be to make the panel door 30 inches wide, to discourage the owner from putting any coat hooks it its way (i.e., they would prevent the door from being able to close).
480sparky said:
There's going to be a shelf on the wall above the panel. . . .
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If the owner tells you they intend to do that, you might mention the rule that the bottom of that shelf must be at least 78 inches above the floor.
 
mdshunk said:
If you care to use a Cutler-Hammer panel, they make a "decorator cover" that is totally stealth. It can be painted or wallpapered too.
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Would that be the one mentioned in the opening post? ;)
 
Three pages of ideas overnight!

If anyone knows a way to post a .pdf file I'll just post the first floor electrical layout, that would make this a little more clear.

I'm leaning towards the cabinet door solution. The only problem is that the space provided would not allow me to install a 30" wide door. The panel is located left of the coat closet door, between the door an the corner of the mud room which is about 26". I could install a narrower door with the cabinet face board and trim attached to the door, so that when it swings open you end up with over a 30" wide workspace from the open cabinet door to the wall on the other side of the mud room that is about 6' away.
 
Bentworker said:
The only problem is that the space provided would not allow me to install a 30" wide door. The panel is located left of the coat closet door, between the door an the corner of the mud room which is about 26".
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If the panel is flush to the wallboard, and the closet door has trim around it that stands proud of the wallboard, then doesn't this create a technical violation of the 30" wide working space rule? You have less than 30" between the closet door trim and the corner of the room.

Yours, Wayne
 
Just paint a mural over it.

(Sorry for the quality of the following pictures)

hiddenpanel.JPG


hiddenpanelclose.JPG


hiddenpaneopen.JPG


Roger
 
wwhitney said:
If the panel is flush to the wallboard, and the closet door has trim around it that stands proud of the wallboard, then doesn't this create a technical violation of the 30" wide working space rule? You have less than 30" between the closet door trim and the corner of the room.

Yours, Wayne
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Yes, the trim protruding 3/4" around the closet door may be a technical violation, but luckily the inspector in the town of 8,000 where I work is a common sense kind of guy, he would probably laugh at me if I asked the question, but I will ask him just to be sure. I could just have the door moved a few inches.

I figured out how to convert the .pdf file to .jpg

Here is the ground floor plan, look in the lower right corner for the mud room with the panel

1stFloorPlan.jpg


2ndFloorPlan.jpg
 
First question I have "Is the 200 amp panel really a sub panel? Can it go in a place that is not the outside wall?

I am thinking , ho wont want it but, shorten the shelves in the pantry and install it there-- behind the door in mud room, outside (yuck). I assume the garage is detached. Yes?
 
Yes,
the 200 amp panel in the house is a subpanel, it is fed from the exterior meter main on the lower right hand corner garage. The garage is detached, it that of some help? The pantry isn't a half bad idea, that would only be a few feet more of 3/0 and conduit, but shelf space would be lost.
 
Bentworker said:
The pantry isn't a half bad idea, that would only be a few feet more of 3/0 and conduit, but shelf space would be lost.
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That means that it is a half good idea.:grin: Yeah that is why I said the ho may not like it.

As an aside, try and get a CEE in the footers before they pour so you don't have to drive 4 ground rods.
 
sparky59 said:
i can't understand anyone wanting to cover a beautiful new panel. gray goes with anything.
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I bet the Wiremold people thought that old orange color that they called "Buff" went with everything too.
 
Bentworker said:
Yes,
the 200 amp panel in the house is a subpanel, it is fed from the exterior meter main on the lower right hand corner garage. The garage is detached, it that of some help? The pantry isn't a half bad idea, that would only be a few feet more of 3/0 and conduit, but shelf space would be lost.
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If copper is requested. I use 2/0 copper for a single family house.
 
based on the plans, i would put the panel either behind the master bedroom door or above it somewhere on the second floor, either way it would be centrally located saving more than enough nm to pay for the extra ser. the closer to the kitchen you get the more you save on wire, also the AH is probably closer as well, tons of labor saved as well, way shorter home runs
 
oops, im sorry, i just read where the meter is on the attached garage, so no ser (firewall) , conduit and copper is $$$$$$, maybe have been cheaper to pay poco to plow to left side of house and put panel behind master door (my fav)
 
Use an ordinary flush mount panel in standard grey.

Make up the panel interior really neatly; not just acceptable, but a proper work of art.

Photograph the panel without the cover.

Finish the panel and put the cover on.

Print the photograph life size, sign it, and put it in a nice frame.

Hang the photo over the panel.

Now everyone looking will see a twisted taste in art, and not even notice the panel itself.

-Jon
 
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