Sub Panel Or Not?

mikeybobo

hi, I'm a carpenter renovating my own house and I'll be roughing in my own electric soon, and I was wondering if anyone knew code wise or any feedback on my method of attack. I was going to put a sub panel in the back of my closet in my upstairs so I could run all my upstairs power off that and just have the one wire from my basement to the upstairs to save on some time drilling and what have you. Obviously I would research the size panel/wire I would need for the amount I need upstairs. Just wondering if there were any codes on how much space you need around or in front of a panel. My closet will be 24" finished deep and around 48" wide. The panel would be off set to the left and be about 18" away from the side wall. I'm located in orange county new york. Thanks

acrwc10

You may as well call an electrician now. Panels aren't allowed in a cloths closet. No real offense intended but every time I see a carpenter try and do there own electrical it is a code violation nightmare. Please remember "Just because it works doesn't mean it is safe or correct."

Magnettica

That's funny because I'm trying to be a carpenter in my free time.

Keep the panel out of the closet unless it's going to be used for other utilities and not clothes.

Celtic

...all the while maintaining clearances required by 110.26 et al

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Magnettica

Of course.

acrwc10

I would much rather live in a house framed by an electrician then one wired by a carpenter. Oh wait that is because I do live in a house I framed.

mikeybobo

hey thats why I came on here an asked I didnt know. guess its a good thing we have all these know it all about everything people on here to straighten me right out

mikeybobo

hehehe

mike lamb

NEC service clearances are 36" free access in front and 30" side to side. Service disconnects should not be located in the vicinity where something can be easily ignited such as clothes closets, linen closets, etc. In other words, if you care about code compliance, don't put it in a closet because there is probably something in the vicintiy that could be easily ignited.

hbelectric

Hallway

acrwc10

Now is that a nice thing to say ? Completely uncalled for.

Magnettica

Speaking of locations.... any of you guys ever in your life install a sub panel in an attic? I used to work for a guy who insisted that we "put it there" on every "big" house that we did. No derating was ever done for any of the circuits or feeders. I thought using an attic was the worst possible location.

rbsremodeling

The only house I did it in was my own. Main panel in the basement. Sub in the attic. I wanted to be able to have access to additional feeds and not cut up the house to run wires.


Gonna come in handy for the new skylights in the master bathroom

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Timster

Originally Posted by hbelectric
Hallway

I don't get the joke. We recently remodeled several apartments in San Francisco and all the new sub panels were put in the hallway near the front door of each unit.

They passed inspection (not too easy in San Francisco), and each small unit is renting for $2900 a month. The tenants put a nice painting, of their liking over the sub panel, so no one knows it is there...

But I guess if one doesn't put their location in their profile, confusion can sometimes ensue...

So to the original poster: The hallway is fine to install your sub panel; just keep it out of a closet.

acrwc10

There is nothing wrong with the panel in a hallway, I actually prefer to put them behind the door in the laundry room or pantry if I can. Honestly how often does a home owner or tenant need to go into the panel ? And most of us are pretty good at figuring out where they could be hiding if it is not obvious. A good many of the old "Eikller" houses have it right on the wall at the front door. The other place you can't put a panel is in the bathroom of a house, although it is alowed in commercial.

Timster

Good points.

JohnJ0906

True, but not allowed resi or commercial if it is the service disconnect.

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John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC