Small storage room panelboard

[hhsting]

I have 120/208V three phase 200 amps panelboard installed in as defined by Architect to be small storage room of tenant space. Yes their is enough workspace as defined in 110.26(A) 3 feet without door swing.

However, the panelboard is located in storage room back of tenant space. Nec 2014 Article 110.26(B) says work space required by this section shall not be used for storage.

So, installing panelboard in storage room is it violation of 110.26(B)?

 

[augie47]

110.26(B) says the working space required by that section shall not be used for storage, it does not prohibit storage in the room in general.
If you install a panel there you should stop by on a weekly basis to assure the area is clear

 

[hhsting]

110.26(B) says the working space required by that section shall not be used for storage, it does not prohibit storage in the room in general.
If you install a panel there you should stop by on a weekly basis to assure the area is clear

Joking? Who does that and what AHJ inspector stops after job is closed stop by weekly. Most of the time its forgotten that panel is even there. No?

 

[dkidd]

Joking? Who does that and what AHJ inspector stops after job is closed stop by weekly. Most of the time its forgotten that panel is even there. No?

I have frequently seen and required that the working space be labeled on the floor, stating "No Storage".

 

[augie47]

Joking? Who does that and what AHJ inspector stops after job is closed stop by weekly. Most of the time its forgotten that panel is even there. No?

Surprising !

 

[norcal]

If a panel is behind a door, then you don't have to worry about stuff getting piled in front of the panel, for that reason always considered it the ideal location for a panel.

 

[oldsparky52]

If a panel is behind a door, then you don't have to worry about stuff getting piled in front of the panel, for that reason always considered it the ideal location for a panel.

Plus it's very easy to just back away if needed.

 

[PaulMmn]

Plus it's very easy to just back away if needed.

But your exit is blocked because the door is closed...

 

[oldsparky52]

But your exit is blocked because the door is closed...

You would close the door while working in that panel? I wouldn't.

 

[PaulMmn]

You would close the door while working in that panel? I wouldn't.

If the panel is behind the door, you'd have to!

edit--

Or does the person who first mentioned The Door mean that the panel is in a shallow closet, therefore is 'behind a door?'

 

[oldsparky52]

If the panel is behind the door, you'd have to!

edit--

Or does the person who first mentioned The Door mean that the panel is in a shallow closet, therefore is 'behind a door?'

I don't remember seeing a closet door open in, I thought they all opened outwards.

I admit though, I could have totally misunderstood the OP.

 

[jap]

I have frequently seen and required that the working space be labeled on the floor, stating "No Storage".

I've seen those warning labels on the floor myself.

That is after I've move all of the trash cans, mop buckets, mops, brooms, vacuum cleaners, ETC.. out of the way.

JAP>

 

[jap]

If the panel is behind the door, you'd have to!

edit--

Or does the person who first mentioned The Door mean that the panel is in a shallow closet, therefore is 'behind a door?'

I would think that any panel located in any room that had a door on it would be " behind the door" in one way or another.


JAP>

 

[PaulMmn]

Plus it's very easy to just back away if needed.

I would think that any panel located in any room that had a door on it would be " behind the door" in one way or another. JAP>

>Pbbbbbbbbblt!<

I'm trying to figure out if if OldSparky was talking about a panel behind any old door, where you'd be blocking your escape route to work on the panel, or a door that put the panel in its own closet.

 

[charlie b]

There seems to be some confusion. So let me digress a moment and give my views on doors and panels.

Standing in a room, look at the exit door. You see a panel to its left. It's flush mounted. The door has hinges on its left side (i.e., near the panel), and it opens inward. With the door fully open, it blocks the panel. With the door halfway closed or even fully closed, you can get to the panel and you have working clearance. I am perfectly OK with this arrangement. Yes, my exit from the room is blocked by the closed door. But if you are talking about "large equipment," there must be a second exit. If you are talking about a common branch panelboard, it is enough that you have working clearance. The NEC rules do not require there to be an accommodation for exiting the room without passing close to the panel.

If you are concerned about walking too close to a sparking panel as you try to reach the door, then walk to the other side of the room, lay down, and take a nap until the sparking ends or someone comes to "rescue" you. OK, that part was a bit facetious. What I mean is that once you are no longer within the working space, you are safe. Nothing else matters.

 

[jap]

then walk to the other side of the room, lay down, and take a nap until the sparking ends or someone comes to "rescue" you. OK, that part was a bit facetious. What I mean is that once you are no longer within the working space, you are safe. Nothing else matters.

That's poor advice.

You wouldn't be safe.

In that scenario you'd probably burn to death in your sleep.

Jap.

 

[jap]

But you're correct.

If that did happen, nothing else would matter.


JAP>

 

[charlie b]

I think you would be safe. That is based in part on this not being a "large equipment" scenario. I believe the energy that could be released during a fault internal to the panel would have finished being released (i.e., due to an upstream OCPD actuation) even before you could step out of the working space. There won't be arcs and sparks filling up the room, so it would not be vital that you exit the room. You need only get far enough from the panel to be unaffected by the initial arcs and sparks. Standing on the other side of the room would give you all the distance you would need. If by chance you were close to the panel when the arcing began, then let us hope you had the appropriate protective gear.

I am not making allowances for emotion here. Yes, I would want to be somewhere else as soon as I could get there. I am talking about three things:

1. Something causes an event to begin.
2. Something else causes the event to terminate.
3. After that comes the investigations.

Your task is to remain alive between items 1 and 2. After item 2, the emergency is over, timing does not matter, and yes you could take a nap.

 

[jap]

There won't be arcs and sparks filling up the room, so it would not be vital that you exit the room.

It's evident you've never witnessed first hand what a fault can do.

It's a hell of a lot more than just steps 1,2 and 3 as your describing.


JAP>