Mike, I agree with you that we can’t be building a lot of “what if’s” into our installations, unfortunately many of our municipal inspectors require us to.
In addition, I see some of the recent (and not so recent) code changes as preparing for “what if’s”, like coloring a switch leg black, or putting a multiwire circuit on a tied breaker. To me this is preparing our installations in case a non qualified person should decide to work on them.
I never considered exposed Romex a problem. I don’t get a warm fuzzy feeling pointing it out. I do however, get a warm fuzzy feeling charging $95.00 per hour to fix it!:mrgreen:
garage panel sheetrock 9/19/07 7:05 PM wronge - Amazing what people just dont know…dedicated space is exactly that dedicated… Ok…for the PINHEAD who said the fire system CAN be in the dedicated space…read your code. Also nothing at all wrong about the spray going over into the dedicated space…
While there are no specific height restrictions for areas like garages and basements, IRC E3701.4 & E3702.3.2 (as well as NEC 334.15) do not permit sheathed cable (Romex) to be run exposed where “subject to physical damage”.
It’s a vauge provision subject to local interpretation. For wiring in areas like garages and basements many AHJ’s interpret that to mean within a certain distance to the floor … and some interpret that to mean any exposd wiring on those walls. Perhaps it’s interpreted as 7 feet from the floor in your area, indirectly from 334.23/320.23 for accessible attics.
In both the IRC 3305.3 and the NEC 110.26(F) mandate that the panel be located in dedicated spaces and protected from damage. The IRC goes on to say in 3305.4 that the required working space shall not be designated for storage.
If I was an inspector writing up a safety report I would call out the items being stored in this dedicated space instead of trying to point out how someone could be in violation of the codes and need future protection.
The fact that both codes require a clear space from the finish floor to a height of 72 inches above or the finished ceiling which ever is lower that is 30 inches wide by 36 inches deep this area is protected my the code itself.
Any cable entering from directly above or below the panel would be protected by these rules and no future protection would be required.
