Panel location near sink

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jamism

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Hello Everyone

I designed a space where I placed 4 panels side by side and next to a sink. Today I got a call from the electrical contractor telling me that this was an unacceptable layout because the sink was too close to the panel and that the closest panel needs to be in a water/rain proof enclosure. I checked the NEC and I cannot find any place in 110-26 that says I need to do this. Is this a requirement in another section of the NEC or is it just something that should be done to prevent any hazards during and after installation.
 
As far as I know if you maintain your 6'6" headroom ,30" wide clearance and 3' in front of the panel there should be no problem next to a sink. It may not be the best placement but I believe according to NEC you are Okay. I don't believe the inspector can say the space next to the sink is a damp location( although he did). The entire area would have to be considered damp not just one spot on the wall. Ask him politely to show you what article he is citing.
 
I agree with Dennis,

You can place the panel right next to the sink and be OK. As far as a damp location, the NEC doesn't define a the location around a sink as a damp or wet location, or else switches and receptacles installed next to a sink would have to have covers rated for either a damp or wet location.

Chris
 
jamism said:
. . . I cannot find any place in 110-26 that says I need to do this.
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110.26 just talks about having clear space around the panel. You also need to check 408.37. I think that is the article upon which that the contractor is basing the statement, ?. . . this is an unacceptable layout.? It refers you to 312.2(A). All that requires, for a damp location, is some means to assure water does not enter the panel. You don?t need a ?weatherproof? enclosure, unless you are in a wet location.

This really boils down to the question of the area being ?damp,? or ?wet,? or neither. I don?t know who gets to make that call (i.e., you the engineer, or the contractor, or the AHJ). I also don?t know how much leeway the AHJ has in making that call. But the way I read the definitions in Article 100, I would say your location does not meet the description of damp or wet.
 
charlie b said:
This really boils down to the question of the area being ?damp,? or ?wet,? or neither. I don?t know who gets to make that call (i.e., you the engineer, or the contractor, or the AHJ).
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IMO if this indoor area was indeed a 'wet' location that is would be indicated on the plans and the building construction in that area would be intended for wet location use.

Floor drains, wall surfaces made of water proof finishes, ventilation for humidity etc.

IMO an electrical inspector can not decide an area with standard flooring and walls is a wet location.
 
iwire said:
And I agree with raider1. :)
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I agree too. Although water and electricity don't mix very well they can be adjacent to each other without any problems.
 
If the room were a wet or damp location he would not be calling for only one panel to be weatherproof. Again you can't pick a spot in the room and say this 16"wide space is wet.
 
Today I got a call from the electrical contractor telling me that this was an unacceptable layout because the sink was too close to the panel
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Quit beating up on this non existent inspector.
 
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Now that we have all agreed on this one, let me say that I also agree with the statement from Dennis, that this may not be the best design. All in all, I would rather not have a sink near a panel, if there were a sufficiently convenient (i.e., inexpensive) way to avoid it. But that is a design choice, not an NEC requirement.
 
NEMA type 1 enclosures, by definition, do protect against indirect splashing, so I too agree with everyone who agrees that there is no problem with this installation.
 
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