Location of breaker panel

Question

Can you have an existing breaker panel in a pantry closet. The breaker panel is in bedroom closet, I want to get rid of closet to enlarge kitchen. Can I put breaker panel in a closet used as a pantry?

Answer 1

Here is the section RME cited:

240.24 Location in or on Premises.

(A) Accessibility. Overcurrent devices shall be readily accessible and shall be installed so that the center of the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker, when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.) above the floor or working platform, unless one of the following applies:

(1) For busways, as provided in 368.17(C).

(2) For supplementary overcurrent protection, as described in 240.10.

(3) For overcurrent devices, as described in 225.40 and 230.92.

(4) For overcurrent devices adjacent to utilization equipment that they supply, access shall be permitted to be by portable means.

(B) Occupancy. Each occupant shall have ready access to all overcurrent devices protecting the conductors supplying that occupancy, unless otherwise permitted in 240.24(B)(1) and (B)(2).

(1) Service and Feeder Overcurrent Devices. Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the service overcurrent devices and feeder overcurrent devices supplying more than one occupancy shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel in the following:

(1) Multiple-occupancy buildings

(2) Guest rooms or guest suites

(2) Branch-Circuit Overcurrent Devices. Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the branch-circuit overcurrent devices supplying any guest rooms or guest suites without permanent provisions for cooking shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel.

(C) Not Exposed to Physical Damage. Overcurrent devices shall be located where they will not be exposed to physical damage.

Informational Note: See 110.11, Deteriorating Agents.

(D) Not in Vicinity of Easily Ignitible Material. Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, such as in clothes closets.

(E) Not Located in Bathrooms. In dwelling units, dormitories, and guest rooms or guest suites, overcurrent devices, other than supplementary overcurrent protection, shall not be located in bathrooms.

(F) Not Located over Steps. Overcurrent devices shall not be located over steps of a stairway.

Specifically, 240.24(D) prevents location in clothes closets as RME stated.

However, if your space is dedicated to other utilities, e.g. Water heater, furnace, etc. and you have the required clearance in accordance with 110.26 then you can call it a utility closet and it's within Code. Many slab homes have just such a "closet".

It would seem to me canned goods would not be considered easily ignitable but paper products would be.

So, depending on what you are storing in this pantry is your answer.

Good luck!

Answer 2

No - The rules to installing a panel have changed since your panel was located in the closet. NEC Article 240.24 (B)(C)(D)(E)(F) disallows Panels in closets. Other articles cover specific clearances (NEC Article 110.26) that must be maintained. The most common places to install a relocated panel are in garages or the exterior along side the meter. There are now further requirements showing up in NFPA 70E the National Electrical Safety Code in compliance with OSHA regulations.

If the two locations I have mentioned are not possible. You must find an area that allows you a clear and unobstructed access to the Panel. Basically the only way to put the panel in a closet would be to make it an electrical room. Meaning nothing else could go in there unless it was large enough to accommodate the Code clearances.