Lift station control panel location

[chris kennedy]

I'm doing a sanitary sewer lift station and the GC on the job wants me to put the control panel in an odd location. I have done many over the years and have always put the panels in the same location, controls facing the tank door, directly in front of the tank conduit entries for the pumps and floats cords.

It has been my understanding one needs to see into the tank while operating/trouble shooting the control panel.

The GC wants me to locate the panel 90°'s to the side of the tank.

I can't find anything in my searches that says they have to be in a certain location as per any specific code(s).

I have a call into the equipment supplier but was hoping someone here could give me some insight.

Thanks

 

[tom baker]

Not an NEC issue. What does the owner want? Most WW ops are very particular esp after they get some 2 am callouts.

 

[Jraef]

I'm doing a sanitary sewer lift station and the GC on the job wants me to put the control panel in an odd location. I have done many over the years and have always put the panels in the same location, controls facing the tank door, directly in front of the tank conduit entries for the pumps and floats cords.

It has been my understanding one needs to see into the tank while operating/trouble shooting the control panel.

The GC wants me to locate the panel 90°'s to the side of the tank.

I can't find anything in my searches that says they have to be in a certain location as per any specific code(s).

I have a call into the equipment supplier but was hoping someone here could give me some insight.

Thanks

Your understanding is correct, it's helpful to be able to see in the wet well when troubleshooting. There is however no rule or code delineating this, it's just common sense.

But when has that ever mattered to someone who wants something a particular way? I've run into some where the freaking homeowner's association dictated where I had to place the control panel, based on aesthetics of what you can see from the road. I pity the poor fool that has to work on those...

 

[kwired]

On the other side of this, I am used to some equipment not being in sight of what is controlling it. Industrial process controller may be controlling some items or receiving input of status of items that are not in same room, on same platform, maybe even hundreds of feet from the controller.

In lift station what is in the sump isn't ordinarily that complex that being able to see inside the sump while also looking at controls is that important IMO.

 

[chris kennedy]

In lift station what is in the sump isn't ordinarily that complex that being able to see inside the sump while also looking at controls is that important IMO.

Kind of handy to physically lift a float cord and watch a contactor close.

 

[kwired]

Kind of handy to physically lift a float cord and watch a contactor close.

But not impossible to troubleshoot if not close enough to the control panel to do so either. Limit switch on top of 150 + grain elevator leg that isn't functioning quite right is a much bigger PITA if you need to physically interact with it and other equipment on the ground.:happyyes: JMO.