plumbing near main breaker panel

14 years ago

I hope this is the right place for this question. Today after turning our water on to the outside plumbing we found that a pipe must have burst during the winter. Where the water main is in our garage a new line was added to connect to an outside faucet (done by a previous owner). This pipe runs up the wall, across the ceiling of the garage and back down the opposite wall where the outside faucet is. Luckily once the water started pouring from the ceiling I could shut off the water by the main where the newer pipe was connected. We plan to reroute the plumbing now from the pipe (that was connected to the main) instead along the same side of the garage wall and then add a faucet at the front of the garage, eliminating the pipe from going up a wall across the ceiling and back down another wall.

The question I have is that the rerouting would take the pipe across the wall where the main breaker board is installed (the board is about 3 feet from the ground, the pipe would be much lower). Is this something that is something that is okay? I know many people have faucets that come out the front of their garages, but I wasn't sure if the plumbing from the main had to stay to one side of the main breaker board or if plumbing typically crosses in front to provide water on the opposite side of the garage?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Featured Answer

baymee

14 years ago

If you're talking about the main electrical breaker board, my son had to take measures that if the plumbing leaked, it wouldn't drip into the electrical panel. His plumbing was directly above the panel.

An acceptable fix was to put rain gutter under the pipe or slit and wrap a downspout around the pipe so any leak would run out of one end of the downspout or gutter.

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Comments (8)

brickeyee
14 years ago
No requirements in the NEC outside of not interfering with access to the panel.
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caththegardener
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you both for your help! I appreciate it.
manhattan42
14 years ago
The National Electric Code strictly prohibits the installation of water piping in the area below the service equipment you described.

Art. 110.26(F)(1)(a) states:

"Dedicated Electrical Space. The space equal to the width and depth of the equipment and extending from the floor to a height of 6 feet above the equipment or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower, shall be dedicated to the electrical installation. No piping, ducts, leak protection apparatus, or other equipment foreign to the electrical installation shall be located in this zone."

Water piping located below the panel in this case is prohibited.

You can place the piping from this foreign system on the wall above the electrical panel provided it located above the 6 foot high dedicated space and provided it "is installed to avoid damage to the electrical equipment from condensation, leaks, or breaks in such foreign systems."
baymee
14 years ago
That's exactly why I had to install the rain gutter under my pipe, which was about 7 feet high.

Glad to know the inspector wasn't shaking me down.
brickeyee
14 years ago
"That's exactly why I had to install the rain gutter under my pipe, which was about 7 feet high.

Glad to know the inspector wasn't shaking me down."

No, he was shaking you done.
Adding a section of gutter and such does not alter teh requirement.

The "Dedicated Electrical Space" IS sometimes referred to as the "access" area that may not be intruded into.

Technically the larger area access rule (30 inches wide x 36 inches deep by 6 feet) is often used by the AHJs to not allow water, etc.

A gutter would be "leak protection apparatus" and should not have been allowed.

Few AHJs enforce the letter of this requirement in older work since it would often require major alterations to either the plumbing or electrical.
manhattan42
14 years ago
'Access area' and 'dedicated space' are two entirely different things when it comes to electrical services.

'Access' has to do with being able to get to the service equipment and is an area 36" deep in front of the 'dedicated space'.

'Dedicated space' means just that: Space 'dedicated' to no other equipment or systems not part of the electrical system.
manhattan42
14 years ago
And by the way, a 'gutter' is absolutely permissable to be installed on plumbing located above the 'dedicated space' for the service...just as the Art 110.26 states it is...

The electrical inspector enforced the Code as it should have been.

No one was shaken down and the owner's electrical service duly protected from legally installed plumbing pipes installed outside the dedicated space above the equipment.