NYC Electrical Code re: Placement of Main Electrical Panel (apartments, house)

[rdditman]

I recently had a Dept of Buildings inspector write up a violation because my main electrical box is mounted horizontally rather than vertically. This was done many years ago because there is not sufficient space to mount the panel vertically. Does anyone know what the NYC Electrical Code says about how the panel is to be mounted? Is there any flexibility in the code?

[mathjak107]

you can mount the panel horizontally as long as the hinge for the cover is at the top. NOT SURE IF THATS IN THE CODE BOOK.

The cover must be able to close by its self and not hang open.

240.33 of the 2011 NEC allows circuit breaker enclosures to be installed horizontally where in accordance with 240.81 and where impracticable to be mounted vertically.

240.81 states "Where circuit breaker handles are operated vertically rather than rotationally or horizontally, the "up" position of the handle shall be the "on" position.

if you direct message me a fax number ill fax you the page from the code book

[Kefir King]

Interesting and logical.

[mathjak107]

see,im just not a greedy ,sleezy landlord, i know technical stuff too....

its amazing between all my dirty thoughts and this stuff i have any free brain cells left at all ...

ha ha ha

[nybbler]

Every breaker box I've seen has the breakers going the opposite way on either side of the panel, so 240.81 seems difficult to fulfill unless you waste half the slots.

[mathjak107]

when i get to work i want to look at the new panels. i noticed yesterday the new line of ite/ siemens panels that just came out has the labels on the door running horizontal.

i want to see if they made changes in the way the 2nd row of breakers sits.

here is some interesting reading on the subject.

http://www.ecmag.com/?fa=article&articleID=7650

[mathjak107]

Yep, you will lose 1/2 the circuits... Good point!

[Kefir King]

Perhaps those regulations referring to "the handle" refer to those anciet boxes that had a single handle on the ouside that turned off the entire electrical supply, overriding the fuses and/or breakers inside. I think in large commercial systems they are still in use and then the UP = ON seems a logical requirement (thus gravity can not turn the system on and electrocute someone.) Each apartments had such a box in my old 1918 joint of long ago....handle outside and fuses inside.

Yes, on my eight breaker, in-apartment box 4 breakers are ON-DOWN and 4 are ON-UP as nybbler said. ON is always to the middle. I have no outside "handle". Last apartment (new) had no outside handle but I cannot recall how the breakers were laid out.

[mathjak107]

the outside switch is a main circuit breaker that kills the panel. they are refering to branch circuits in this case.

they want any breakers in the on position when up so its uniform in an emegency and without even looking you know to flip it down.

[mathjak107]

just got the answer from our electrician at work.

the first question is this:

is the panel what we call a load center which looks like the circuit breaker panel you have in your house with plug in branches or is it a commercial single phase or 3 phase panelboard or switchboard with typically bolt in branches?

loadcenters only have to have the hinge for the cover at the top. it has to self close.

commercial panelboards have to have the breakers on at the top only, meaning you will loose a row of breakers,also the cover has to have the hinge at the top......

to the op if you get me the model number off your panel ill try to tell you which one you have.