The basement is a crawlspace accessed via a 2/4 x 6/8 door, and a short ladder. Overhead down there is 46 inches. Here is a pic of the main floor above that crawlspace. Where would you put the panel?
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Replies
How about on the back wall of that laundry room?
Where is the crawlspace access located?
And where will the service entrance/meter be?
If you mean the wall in the laundry room that is on your R as you enter, the wall the door when open, lays against, that is where I was thinking, also. It is about the only place not in a bedroom or public area, that meets the criteria for space.
Meters here are always on a pedestal away from the house, near car parking area. Service entrance is underground, through the crawlspace foundation, in a location near the panel inside.
The only other spot I might consider would be on that hallway wall right behind the refrigerator. Seems like the most unsightly "public" spot available. It's more central too. But laundry room would be my first choice.
If the meter is on a pedestal away from the house, does that mean the service disconnect is out there next to the meter?
Bill mentioned interior walls are generally not an acceptable location, but that's because typically the main breaker in the panel is the service disconnect, and the service disconnect needs to be as close as possible to the meter. However, if there's a separate service disconnect outside the house someplace it's not an issue, and that hallway by the laundry probably is the best location.
Gene, just curious, what are the outside dimensions on that house?
to the left of the W/D or under the stair ... or in the entry closet.
You can put the panel in a closet. Need a fixed CLEAR space with not any flammable materials in the area.
Also, in general interior walls are not acceptable.
Need minimal run for the unprotected lines from where they enter the structure to the panel.
The only option that I see is to move the washer and dry to the left and put the panel on the outside wall.
Now you don't have that restriction if you have the service entrance (main disconnect/overload) outside the house. That might be at the pedestal or a separate single function panel out side.
There might also be an exception if you run the wire in ridge conduit from where it enters the house to the panel. Not sure about the wording on that one.
We need Hartmann to quote chapter and verse here.
I want to remember it's 30" wide across the panel, 36" out from the plane, and around 72" from floor is the panel requirement.
But, I could be mixing commercial with residential; and much dependes on which version of IRC and NEC under which you must obey, too.
What that might mean is moving the window in the landry over a bit, and putting the panel whier it is is presently.
Gene, I don't know about your
Gene, I don't know about your area, but here I have found this works pretty well and hides the ugly load center.
On the wall across the hall from the refr.,double up the wall at the end of the closet. Mount the load center in the doubled up wall and install a matching standard door in the hall wall opening up into the hall. You may need to use a 30" door to meet code width. Because the recessed depth is only 3&1/2 in. I have gotten by with as little as a 20" door. The hall width gives you the min. required space in front of the load center. Hope this makes since.