Minimum panel height

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denoyan

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marquette, mi. usa
So, I guess the consensus is that per NEC, there is no minimum height on the panel. I wouldn't have a predicament with this job if I wasn't replacing a fed. pacific panel in an A-frame home. The existing panel which is around 10" wide, has 4" of clearance on the left side to the tapered A-frame roof & about 4" to the right where the left entry door frame is there. To get the wider square-d 100 AMP box in, I have to lower it because of the obvious A-frame tapered roof & close entry door. Access is easy but I'm wondering if the left & right side clearances are acceptable?
Thanks!
 
110.26(A)(2) width of the working space must be the greater of 30" or the width of the equipment. The door has to be able to open 90 degrees.

(unless it's changed from 2011, the latest version I have.)
 
Coppersmith said:
110.26(A)(2) width of the working space must be the greater of 30" or the width of the equipment. The door has to be able to open 90 degrees.

(unless it's changed from 2011, the latest version I have.)
Click to expand...

Just to be clear...

(2) Width of Working Space. The width of the working
space in front of the electrical equipment shall be the width
of the equipment or 762 mm (30 in.), whichever is greater.
In all cases, the work space shall permit at least a 90 degree
opening of equipment doors or hinged panels.
Click to expand...
 
The entry door frame by itself does not interfere with the working space required for the panel. If someone cannot open and close the entry door while you are working the NEC does not see that as a problem.
 
No minimum height of panel from grade. As far as working space, today I opened what I thought would be a telecom closet hidden inside a drywalled 'enclosure'. It was a FPE 208Y/120V panel that had egregious working space violations. The "solution" to this? Someone removed the deadfront so everything is accessible thru the drywall. :happysad:
 
JFletcher said:
No minimum height of panel from grade. As far as working space, today I opened what I thought would be a telecom closet hidden inside a drywalled 'enclosure'. It was a FPE 208Y/120V panel that had egregious working space violations. The "solution" to this? Someone removed the deadfront so everything is accessible thru the drywall. :happysad:
Click to expand...


Highest point to any switch handle is 6'6" for a panel. 3' from in front of the entire cabinet, box, enclosure (H&W) down to grade, floor for panels. If you find that to be difficult just drop mulch to raise the grade.

Some inspectors try to push that on to disconnects, but a disconnect is a switch not a panel. Lol
 
cloudibew said:
Highest point to any switch handle is 6'6" for a panel. 3' from in front of the entire cabinet, box, enclosure (H&W) down to grade, floor for panels. If you find that to be difficult just drop mulch to raise the grade.

Some inspectors try to push that on to disconnects, but a disconnect is a switch not a panel. Lol
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110.26(A) doesn't say it applies to panels, disconnects or any other specific item - it says "Working space for equipment operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less to ground and likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall comply with..."
 
A bad experience once taught me that the minimum height is above the 100 year flood mark...

I didn't install the control panel, I just built it for the pump supplier and when called out to troubleshoot why it was not working, found it mounted to a pole about 30" from the ground, in a flood plain that experienced a 4' flood. The thing that got me more was that there were VFDs inside so to look at the displays or program them, you would have to get on your knees in the mud. I think what happened is that they were for submersibles and the pumps were set lower than expected or the submersible cables were shorter than expected. But rather than put in a j-box for the submersible cables, the installer just lowered the panel so that he could attach them directly to the drives. I got to build the panel all over again at the expense of the insurance company and got the install contract on that 2nd go-around.
 
JFletcher said:
No minimum height of panel from grade.
Click to expand...
That is true for the NEC itself. But take care to account for local requirements. In Seattle, for instance, an enclosure that contains overcurrent devices must be installed such that the lowest possible OCDP is at least 1 foot off the floor (or working surface). I believe that will change to 2 feet in the 2017 Seattle amendments, except that it remains 1 foot for meter centers.

 
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