National Electrical Code

What's Wrong Here

July 8, 2004

Hint: This equipment is located in the closet of an existing single-family dwelling.

If you look closely, you can see an electrical panel hiding behind the copper piping system. The panel is now inaccessible. It’s hard to believe that the heat and plumbing system passed inspection – or did it?

This installation violates working space rules as noted in 110.26 (Spaces About Electrical Equipment) of the 2002 NEC, which states “Sufficient access and working space shall be provided and maintained about all electric equipment to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment.”

Sec. 110.26(A) (Working Space) goes on to state, “Working space for equipment operating at 600V, nominal, or less to ground and likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall comply with the dimensions of 110.26(A)(1), (2), and (3) or as required or permitted elsewhere in this Code.”

About the Author

Joe Tedesco

Tedesco served the industry in many roles during his career. He was a director, senior electrical code instructor for National Technology Transfer, Inc. and American Trainco, Inc.. He was also a codes, standards and seminar specialist for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and an electrical field service specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He ran his own business as an NEC consultant and is a Massachusetts licensed master electrician and journeyman electrician and certified electrical inspector (one and two family 2A; General 2B, and Plan Review, 2C). Tedesco also wrote articles for CEE News and EC&M (Code Violations Illustrated and What's Wrong Here?) for more than 15 years and helped launched the Moving Violations video series.