Working & Dedicated space for IT equipments

A

Akten

Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Engineer
Hi,

Are IT/Telecom equipment (switch, UPS, router, modem, etc) in an Electrical room subject to the same working space and dedicated space requirement in NEC similar to other electrical panelboard, etc?
 
First of all, I sincerely doubt that any IT Department would ever allow their equipment to reside in the same room as electrical panels. That would be especially true if there were transformers in the room.

That said, I believe that most IT components (e.g., switches, routers, and modems) will be rack-mounted and cord & plug connected. The racks themselves are just metal frames with receptacles mounted in convenient locations.That would not invoke working space requirements. I am less certain as to whether a UPS would require maintenance while energized.
 
ModbusMan said:
Any rack-mounted UPS system would need maybe 24-36in of clearance either front or rear for battery swaps, but that's about it.
Click to expand...
Good point. It reminded me that the IT world has their own requirements for space in front of, and behind, their racks. I am not certain I can correctly recall the numbers, but I believe it is at least 24 inches all around. It has to do with convenience, rather than electrical safety.
 
charlie b said:
I am not certain I can correctly recall the numbers, but I believe it is at least 24 inches all around. It has to do with convenience, rather than electrical safety.
Click to expand...
Generally it's 48in to the front to install into or remove equipment from a standard rack, and 24-36in minimum to the rear (though every server room I've been in has provided 48in). Rear clearance is more about having space to work on cables and interconnects comfortably. Networking hardware is notorious for having all their connections on the "wrong" side, though, so it's pretty common for that to be mounted on rear rails rather than front.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top