According to the NEC, a SEP cannot be higher than 6’7″ above the floor. (240.24, well actually the center of the operating handle of an OCPD located within that panel…..). My question is…….is there a minimum elevation? I am working in a house which could really use a sub-panel to provide for some current needs and provide for the future. The SEP is located in a improved basement and the most logical place to locate the new sub-panel is directly underneath of the existing SEP. This would place the bottom of the new sub-panel enclosure roughly 3′ above the finished tile floor. Any problem? Thanks, Jim
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Replies
There's nothing in the NEC
There's nothing in the NEC that sets a minimum height for a panel. Just the working clearance requirements...
So if the exisiting panel meets the working clearance criteria, locating the subpanel below it will be fine.
Cliff
Thanks Cliff, that is what I thought but wanted some confirmation.
Working clearances are no problem; left,right and in front are all pretty wide open. Tightest is to the right which is at least 3' from panel edge to a wall; left is 12'+, front is 20'+ to the other side of the basement.
>>Working clearances are no problem; left,right and in front are all pretty wide open. Tightest is to the right which is at least 3' from panel edge to a wall; left is 12'+, front is 20'+ to the other side of the basement
Why not just park it to the left of the existing panel? Looks like you have room for it.
If you go below the old panel, pick up some stick on numbers to place over the stamped numbers for the breaker slots. It makes it a lot easier for people wearing bi-focals to read when they have to squat down. Also make a laminated copy of the panel legend that can be taken off the panel door, for the same reason.
I had a job with some serious space restraints, and this satisfied every body
View Image
View Image
That's a lot lower than
That's a lot lower than mine!
Jim
Push the envelope LOL
Does the PoCo have any issues with covering up the meter?
This power company reads the meters with a radio gizmo from the street.
Nice.
That's the kind of job
Nice.
That's the kind of job you want when it's been a particularly rough day, the day before....you can make up the panel while you're sitting down.
Cliff
You may have a local requirment for height so ask the inspector for your area to be sure. I know one old fart that would claim it's not reasonable for him to have to get on his belly to inspect the pannel and that if an electrican was to be electricuted he couldn't fall away from the pannel so it would be unsafe.
Yeah, but more people who get shocked are injured from the fall than from the shock.