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Spent 3 years mounting control panels sideways before a fire inspector pointed out the code violation at a job in Denver.
I always figured it saved space and looked cleaner, but after the inspector flagged it on a commercial build I had to rip out six panels and start over, has anyone else dealt with a hidden code rule that changed how you do basic installs?
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piper_kim3mo ago
Rolled with the same issue on a retrofit job a few years back. Ended up pulling a permit for a mock-up of the panel layout before doing any of the real work. That saved my butt because the inspector caught a clearance issue on paper instead of after I'd already mounted everything. Also started keeping a laminated card in my tool bag with the latest NEC height and clearance specs. It's cheap insurance when you're working fast and the code book is a brick.
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parker_palmer443mo ago
piper_kim that laminated card idea is genius, I actually took it a step further after that Denver mess. I made a cheat sheet with common clearance rules for different box sizes and taped it inside my panel covers before I mount anything. Saves me from having to flip through the whole code book when my brain is fried at the end of a 10 hour day. The mock-up trick too, that would've caught my sideways mistake before I had drywall guys patching holes for three days.
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