Service Panel Location In Bathroom

[steelbuster]

I am doing some remodel work in a 1950's house and the main Service Panel is located inside a basement bathroom. It is on the exterior wall and is enclosed and covered by a wooden cabinet door. Before I begin work, I am trying to figure out if there are any NEC problems with this installation .

 

[davedottcom]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Yes.
Option #1: Relocate the panel
or
Option #2: Relocate the bathroom

 

[steelbuster]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Ah ,short and sweet. Home owners will be thrilled to here that. Is there a reference directly prohibitting bathrooms or a more general guideline?

 

[petersonra]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

As long as it is accessable, how is it in violation?

 

[iwire]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

We are not there so we don't know if violates the rules in 110.26.

This statement

is enclosed and covered by a wooden cabinet door.

Suggests to me a violation of 110.26.

Also as this is a service panel the bathroom location is a violation of 230.70(A)(2).

Steelbuster, the best advice I can give you is to talk to the local inspector. They may let certain things go as it is existing.

 

[steelbuster]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

OK, Thanks Guys. It's a FPC panel mounted on the exterior masonry wall. That wall was furred out,insullated and sheetrocked leaving an oversized space for the panel.That space containing the panel was then hidden behind a wooden door.

 

[iwire]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Is there enough space to place a box 30" wide 36" deep 78" high or the height of the equipment which every is higher on the floor in front of the panel?

If yes, would this box touch the face of the panel?

If both answers are yes, the work space requirements are satisfied.

230.70(A)(2) is pretty straight forward.

230.70(A)(2) Bathrooms. Service disconnecting means shall not be installed in bathrooms.

Edit to add 78"

[ August 11, 2005, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[charlie b]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Just for curiosity, if the disconnecting means is at the meter outside, and if the panel is MLO, can you leave it in the bathroom?

 

[iwire]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Originally posted by charlie b:
Just for curiosity, if the disconnecting means is at the meter outside, and if the panel is MLO, can you leave it in the bathroom?

Good question, strange answer.

In a dwelling unit no, in other occupancies yes.

240.24 (E) Not Located in Bathrooms. In dwelling units and guest rooms of hotels and motels, overcurrent devices, other than supplementary overcurrent protection, shall not be located in bathrooms as defined in Article 100.

 

[steelbuster]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Yikes.... This is single family home. Is that a "dwelling unit"? ..Installing a disconnect outside after the meter would sure be a lot cheaper than moving the whole panel to the room outside the bathroom.

 

[petersonra]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

I think the prohibition of OCPDs in a bathroom cinches it. The other stuff could be finessed.

OTOH, like another poster said, its already there. As long as it is not inherently unsafe, why fool with it?

 

[steelbuster]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

The room the panel could be moved to is a bedroom I guess. Any problems with that?

 

[petersonra]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

Is it in a corner of the bathroom where you could wall off the area inside the bathroom where the panel is and remove the section of the wall that would be in the adjacent room so access would be from the other room?

 

[steelbuster]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

No such luck. It's a small bathroom with the panel on the outside wall. Im going to talk with the owners about moving it into the bedroom unless I find out that's also a no-no.
Thanks

 

[charlie b]

Re: Service Panel Location In Bathroom

I am going to put this thread on hold, for the time being.

steelbuster: If you wish to have this thread re-opened, please send me a Private Message. If you don't know how, look at the FAQ thread, for there is a description of the PM process there. In your case, you may have to edit your profile to enable Private Messages.

What I need to know is what you are "retired" from. If you were not an electrician, then we cannot help you perform electrical work at your own home or at the home of a friend or family member. From the nature of the questions you have posted, it occurs to me that this might be the case. If that is true, then you would still be welcome to use this Forum to learn whatever you want to learn. But we cannot offer advice or assistance on performing electrical installation work.

Our concern is that you may get only the answer to the question that you ask, and get no answer to the thousand other questions that you should have asked, but did not know that you needed to ask. The thousand of other questions are the ones that electricians, electrical engineers, and other professionals in the electrical industry would have known about, and would have understood the answers to, as part of their years of training.

If my concerns are unfounded, then please let me know.