I've had 2 different opinions on this from 2 different electricians. I live in Ontario, Canada and my basement bathroom rough-in was installed around my electrical panelboard and I'm in the process of finishing the basement with a 3-piece bathroom.

The first electrician said the way it is framed now is fine. The way it is framed now, there will be a door about a foot from the panelboard. He said, with the door opening out, it will leave more than the required 3-feet space required by the ESA. And the panel won't be in the bathroom because it will be enclosed with a full wall & door.

The second electrician said I need a 3ft x 3ft enclosure around it -- so the panelboard needs to be in a separate 3ftx3ft room. So I need to move the door frame out another 2 feet to have the panelboard in a 3ftx3ft room.

I looked up the ESA and it appears all that is required is a 3ft clearance in front of the panel. Does this mean, though, I need (or even should have) the panel enclosed in a 3ftx3ft room?

Thanks for your advice.

 

To my knowledge, if you are covering the panel with a door, it needs to be 3 ft away. How far away will the closest wet location be?

 

I have never heard of a panel needing to be in an enclosed room like you stated. Plenty of the homes I manage, and have done service upgrades in have the panel on a wall in the basement. As far as distance from the bathroom I am not sure on that. I know that I have had to move a panel out of a bathroom before, but I just moved it to the wall that enclosed the bathroom. It was about 2.5 feet from the door. The electrical inspector did not have any issues with that.

 

Ohhh..Now I see what is going on here. Didn't look at the picture long enough. Yeah, that panel needs to have a door in front of it to "remove" it from the bathroom. It does need to be 3ft from the panel. As far as the width goes I have no clue.

 

Thanks for your replies. So I will need to move the door 3 feet in front of the panel I guess.

The closest wet location is the vanity you can see roughed-in in the picture, to the left of the panel. It's around 4 ft from the panel itself.

 

Bottom line is an electrical panel can not be in a bathroom, and working space about a panel is required to be at least 30" wide and 36" deep. By making a 36"x36" room for the panel you will meet both codes.

 

Hi,

I am too stuck with a panel in my planned bathroom. I live in Ontario, and the code says the panel has to be in a 3ft x 3ft 'closet'. My question is does the panel have to be absolutely centered? How much clearance from the panel side (or wire coming out of) to the wall?

I know I might save only a few inches, but that will determine where my toilet goes.

Thanks,

Nick

 

No, the panel does not need to be centered in the clearance space (in the US, CA may be different). It can be right next to the adjacent wall.

 

In the US, it does not need to be centered. I don't know whether it would be for you.