What EXACTLY is "dead-front"?

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grasfulls

grasfulls

Always tired, so cannot retire
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Placer County. CA
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An inspector has disallowed the installation of SqD homeline 8/16 panels that have no door, the breaker fronts are readily accessible. His assertion is they are not "dead-front" without a door. Our assertion is the dead-front is the metal piece disallowing access to exposed current carrying parts, doors are just aesthetic.
We have gone through the fact they are UL listed
The breakers are properly rated for AIC
There is no exposure to live parts
Showed the definition of Metal-Enclosed switchgear which includes "Access to the interior of the enclosure is provided by doors, removable covers, or both." (we know it is not switchgear, but there is no load-center definition and panelboard has no mention of doors or dead-front and "Dead-front" is not in the definitions section)

Thanks
 
Of course he is wrong. I hate to beat up on inspectors but when I hear things like this, it makes you wonder if they really have any miles on them as an electrician.
 
There is an inspector that needs to change careers and bag groceries for a living.

How is a person to access the breakers without opening the doors? According to his interpretation, the act of opening the door is exposure to energized parts and therefore proper PPE is required.

Have him to look up the word "dead front"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead-front switchboard
 
grasfulls said:
An inspector has disallowed the installation of SqD homeline 8/16 panels that have no door, the breaker fronts are readily accessible. His assertion is they are not "dead-front" without a door. Our assertion is the dead-front is the metal piece disallowing access to exposed current carrying parts, doors are just aesthetic.
We have gone through the fact they are UL listed
The breakers are properly rated for AIC
There is no exposure to live parts
Showed the definition of Metal-Enclosed switchgear which includes "Access to the interior of the enclosure is provided by doors, removable covers, or both." (we know it is not switchgear, but there is no load-center definition and panelboard has no mention of doors or dead-front and "Dead-front" is not in the definitions section)

Thanks
Click to expand...

From what I can see the rule being referenced is NEC 2011 600 VAC or less, 408.38 Panelboards (See Panelboard definition in Article 100) shall be mounted in cabinets, cutout boxes, or enclosures designed for the purpose and shall be dead front.

To me, for the reasons you provided, the door is not the "dead front" panel. However, I guess the door may be required (Listed) if the panel is tested with it in place.
 
MarineTech said:
From what I can see the rule being referenced is NEC 2011 600 VAC or less, 408.38 Panelboards (See Panelboard definition in Article 100) shall be mounted in cabinets, cutout boxes, or enclosures designed for the purpose and shall be dead front.

To me, for the reasons you provided, the door is not the "dead front" panel. However, I guess the door may be required (Listed) if the panel is tested with it in place.
Click to expand...

But the panels he's talking about aren't manufactured with a door.
 
The definition is right in Article 100. The inspector is incorrect a door is not required.

Dead Front. Without live parts exposed to a person on the
operating side of the equipment
Click to expand...
 
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