Panel in utilities closet?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

conch5

Member
Hi All:
I'm new. Hopefully I only have one question. I am framing out a basement. The panel is located at the back door along with a whole short wall of other electronic, alarm, vonage, ISP, wireless STUFF. The area is ~4' X 5' and the panel is on the right side wall. Everything hangs off the wall. Rather than finishing behind all this stuff, can I frame out a foot from this wall, installing a large bi-fold door in front of panel? Clearance with doors open would be code (36" to front, 30" across front), clearance with doors closed would be 14" to the front, 30" across.
The thinking is that if I frame the area as one then it would create an unfinished closet ~4' X 5' and the homeowner will definitely use it as an unfinished closet and stack stuff to the ceiling in front of the panel. If I frame out a small area for the electrical and other stuff then they can't put anything in there. The area outside the electrical area would be finished and they wouldn't store anything there (good access to bi-fold doors) because it wouldn't be hidden.
Not code or code?
Thanks for any replies.
 
as long as the required working space is there, it is not a code issue if the Ho fills the closet with stuff later on.

if the inspector shows up and a clothes rack has been installed in front of the panel, I think he should fail it.

why would you want 14" from the door to the equipment anyway? if you are going to do this, make the bump out as small as possible. that will also discourage using it for storage.
 
petersonra said:
as long as the required working space is there, it is not a code issue if the Ho fills the closet with stuff later on.
Click to expand...

I will assume you meant HO as in HomeOwner, and not the derogatory remark concerning the one who owns all the clothes/shoes that fill up the closet. :D
 
I agree that this would be allowed, as long as the inspector doesn't view this as a "clothes closet". I like the other suggestion also. For example, if you made it only 3-1/2" deep, I don't see how anyone could call it a clothes closet.
 
steve66 said:
I agree that this would be allowed, as long as the inspector doesn't view this as a "clothes closet". I like the other suggestion also. For example, if you made it only 3-1/2" deep, I don't see how anyone could call it a clothes closet.
Click to expand...

Panels may be mounted in other than clothes closets but the work space must still stay clear.We all know it wont but if clear at inspection it passes.
 
When does a closet go from just a regular closet to a clothes closet? Is that when the shelf and hanger rod go in?
 
infinity said:
When does a closet go from just a regular closet to a clothes closet? Is that when the shelf and hanger rod go in?
Click to expand...
No, it's when the unenclosed incandescents come out. :D
 
I know one inspector that won`t even do a final residential inspection unless the shelving in a clothes closet are installed at the time of the final.It`s Jim`s buddy he has been battling recently :).
This is on tract homes hes done countless inspections on.I can`t even count the amount of inspections I refused to call because the builder didn`t schedule the shelving contractor to install the shelves before we were done trimming.I told them time and time again that the shelves had to be installed because the inspector will cite clearance cannot be determined.
Oh BTW here the builder holds the permit and we are the sub so they can call the inspection if they want to.They do ,we fail for no shelves installed and hand them a bill for the tag and a trip charge to make sure the clearance is correct :)
 
Put a sign on the door that reads " Electrical Closet. Not for storage." I have done this before and the inspector said that it was acceptable. Just make sure some nimrod doesn't put a clothes rod in before the inspector shows up. That kind of makes you look like you are trying to pull a fast one, but of course none of us ever do that do we?
 
I had to ask a bottled gas plant to please move a pallet full of bottled gas out of my way so i could get at the panels enough to open the doors.People will use electrical rooms for storage and nothing we can do about it.I have seen some of the fancy shelfing in upscale homes and they never care about where the light will be.Any inspector demanding shelf first then inspection has my support on this one.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
I had to ask a bottled gas plant to please move a pallet full of bottled gas out of my way so i could get at the panels enough to open the doors.People will use electrical rooms for storage and nothing we can do about it.I have seen some of the fancy shelfing in upscale homes and they never care about where the light will be.Any inspector demanding shelf first then inspection has my support on this one.
Click to expand...

Me too Jim but I was dealing with tract homes and the supers wanted the bounus $$$$$.They would scream bloody murder when I wouldn`t call a final when no shelves were installed.I just simply said i told you that you would fail if no shelves were installed and I didn`t care a hoot about the bonus they wouldn`t be getting.After a few weeks of this they finally had the shelves scheduled before we trimmed out.In that few weeks there were probably 200 finals that failed for no shelving.They paid the $30.00 @ tag and the $45.00 trip charge to check the clearance.So much for the bonus $$$$$
 
allenwayne said:
Me too Jim but I was dealing with tract homes and the supers wanted the bounus $$$$$.They would scream bloody murder when I wouldn`t call a final when no shelves were installed.I just simply said i told you that you would fail if no shelves were installed and I didn`t care a hoot about the bonus they wouldn`t be getting.After a few weeks of this they finally had the shelves scheduled before we trimmed out.In that few weeks there were probably 200 finals that failed for no shelving.They paid the $30.00 @ tag and the $45.00 trip charge to check the clearance.So much for the bonus $$$$$
Click to expand...

Some things i dont see as biggies like a ceiling fan on the light outlet but fires can happen too easy in a closet
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
I had to ask a bottled gas plant to please move a pallet full of bottled gas out of my way so i could get at the panels enough to open the doors.People will use electrical rooms for storage and nothing we can do about it....
Click to expand...
We had a service call at a local car dealer once. Stacked in front of all the electrical panels was a bunch of old car batteries .... talk about an accident waiting to happen ..... yikes!
 
kbsparky said:
We had a service call at a local car dealer once. Stacked in front of all the electrical panels was a bunch of old car batteries .... talk about an accident waiting to happen ..... yikes!
Click to expand...


Hmmm...new porsche parked in front of the electrical panel. I guess I'll have to move that myself. :)
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
Have we been missing a violation by putting panels in a garage ?
Click to expand...

I was only kidding about a porsche in front of a panel, but what violation would there be by putting a panel in a garage? As long as the car isn't there when the panel goes in?

Steve
 
No, the closet is only 14" deep, which makes it too shallow to fit clothes hangers into (and really not much else, either). People don't want all their utilities stuff showing anymore. They wanted this stuff in a closet of some sort so it would be hidden. It was up to me to figure out the best way. Besides, this homeowner actually USES his panel. He's got a shop full of woodworking equipment and he throws all the breakers when there's kids around so no one can "accidently" turn on the saws. I also like the idea of putting a big sign on it that says "Utilities Closet - Do not block".
Thanks for the input.
 
That bump out is pretty much necessary - the original builder really f-ed up the basement as far as ever finishing it. All of the wire coming into the panel from the house is not quite IN the wall, some of it actually hangs down into the space. That bump-out works around all that. The basement is FILLED with soffits and bump-outs due to hanging p-traps and conduit running in weird places. Some conduit is even run on the outside of walls. (Yep, it all passed inspection so the builder must've been greasing some palms.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top