water lines or drain pipes ok above service panel ?

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You need 6' of clearance (dedicated equipment space) directly above the footprint of the panel.

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GerryB said:
Had a job they ran duct work over the panels. Inspector said move it or frame it in and rock it, which is what they did.
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That may have been an easy way out, but not all AHJ will see boxing something in as being the structural ceiling, said box certainly doesn't provide any structural support function, it is just enclosing something.
 
kwired said:
That may have been an easy way out, but not all AHJ will see boxing something in as being the structural ceiling, said box certainly doesn't provide any structural support function, it is just enclosing something.
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Agreed. HVAC got lucky there. Hope electrician never needs that space.
 
kwired said:
That may have been an easy way out, but not all AHJ will see boxing something in as being the structural ceiling, said box certainly doesn't provide any structural support function, it is just enclosing something.
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I agree too, that does not meet the NEC requirement for the dedicated equipment space.
 
Today's Code Question is how much space above the panel is dedicated for electrical equipment. That's happened too often to be a coincidence. While it looks like it follows an order in the NEC, every once in a while, like today, it seems out of order and very specific to a current thread. Or is it just me?
 
The dedicated space above a panel has been in our code for at least 50 years.

Why is it that the other trades seem surprised when you have to tell them they have to move their pipe or duct? Like it’s the first time they have ever heard of it.

Why aren’t they taught this early in their training, any why isn’t it part of their codes?
 
infinity said:
Yes, but you would still need 6.5' in height for the working space in front of the panel.
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Yes, I have 9 ft ceiling, the pipe is in the floor joist area above, so I have 9 feet standing room in front of the panel. I was thinking that in past jobs we've had water supply lines and drain lines above but just barely beyond the front of the panel covers plane and the inspectors ok'd them.
 
Stevenfyeager said:
I was thinking that in past jobs we've had water supply lines and drain lines above but just barely beyond the front of the panel covers plane and the inspectors ok'd them.
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That is compliant with the code. If you can stand in the working space and have 6.5 feet of headroom, then it is acceptable for a pipe or duct to be over your head. However, if the pipe or duct is directly above the panel, then (1) it has to be at least 6 feet higher than the top of the panel (not likely in a room with a 9 foot ceiling) and (2) there has to be a drip shield between the pipe/duct and the top of the panel.

 
charlie b said:
That is compliant with the code. If you can stand in the working space and have 6.5 feet of headroom, then it is acceptable for a pipe or duct to be over your head. However, if the pipe or duct is directly above the panel, then (1) it has to be at least 6 feet higher than the top of the panel (not likely in a room with a 9 foot ceiling) and (2) there has to be a drip shield between the pipe/duct and the top of the panel.
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It can be within the structural ceiling and be less than 6 feet above the panel.
 
but a dropped ceiling is not a structural ceiling sometimes. So, installing some drop in panels does not fix the problem... best thing, make sure any plumbing is at least three feet away from wall that has electrical panels... if you have any say in things...
 
Adamjamma said:
but a dropped ceiling is not a structural ceiling sometimes. So, installing some drop in panels does not fix the problem... best thing, make sure any plumbing is at least three feet away from wall that has electrical panels... if you have any say in things...
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Dropped ceiling is never a structural ceiling. If you can remove it and the roof or floor above isn't compromised by such removal it is not a structural ceiling.
 
not sure about the point you just made... have seen many ceilings over the years with space between them and the subfloor above and no connections... usually insulated between as well, with fire board on the sub floor... all the apartments stuff in their ceiling area separate from the floor above... yet it was still a structural ceiling..studs run across... usually in older buildings that had over eight foot ceiling heights and they built new ceiling at 8 foot... hiding wiring runs, plumbing etc within the cavity.
In those, because the ceiling is dropped but structurally built rather than using wires and metal grid, I would call it a structural ceiling...
 
Adamjamma said:
not sure about the point you just made... have seen many ceilings over the years with space between them and the subfloor above and no connections... usually insulated between as well, with fire board on the sub floor... all the apartments stuff in their ceiling area separate from the floor above... yet it was still a structural ceiling..studs run across... usually in older buildings that had over eight foot ceiling heights and they built new ceiling at 8 foot... hiding wiring runs, plumbing etc within the cavity.
In those, because the ceiling is dropped but structurally built rather than using wires and metal grid, I would call it a structural ceiling...
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Typical "suspended ceiling" yes not to many will disagree is not a structural item. But other "hard ceilings" that are not contributing anything to the main structural support aren't structural members either. They aren't designed to carry much of anything but the ceiling hanging from them.

If there is a floor above and the ceiling in question is the framing members for said floor that is a structural ceiling.
 
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