My current house panel is in a bedroom closet, I want to get a
240 volt hot tub. If I upgrade the panel goes it need to be relocated?
240 volt hot tub. If I upgrade the panel goes it need to be relocated?
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Panel upgrade?
- Thread starter 930dreamer
- Start date
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
It's been a long time since you could legally install a new panel in a closet.
Is the service to the house too small or is the panel just out of spaces?
If you're just out of space and the old panel is still in decent shape you might be able to feed a sub panel in a differant part of house from current panel.
Post some pictures of what's in there now.
Is the service to the house too small or is the panel just out of spaces?
If you're just out of space and the old panel is still in decent shape you might be able to feed a sub panel in a differant part of house from current panel.
Post some pictures of what's in there now.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Upgrading panel would require bringing it to current code which means closet is no go.
OP
I know we have a small sub panel already for the swimming pool and recepticles. Baby sleeping right now. Can the panel be moved but the service coming into the house stay at the same location?
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wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
How is the service setup?
Meter main, divorced meter pan or??
Sounds like u have just a pan on the outside so u would have to run new service entrance wire to the new panel location as well as extend the existing branch circuit wires.
What brand of oanel do u have?
OP
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
What is on the other side of the wall?
It may be possible to just face the panel the other way around (and save having to extend the circuits)
It may be possible to just face the panel the other way around (and save having to extend the circuits)
OP
^^ just the brick exterior of the house.
txvwnut
Well-known member
When I upgraded my panel we made a harness to go from the new panel into the old one which we had gutted and used like a junction box.
My original panel was in the master closet and the meter base was mounted on the exterior wall about 8 feet from the panel.
My original panel was in the master closet and the meter base was mounted on the exterior wall about 8 feet from the panel.
farphle
Well-known member
Tell me more about this harness. I'm looking to move my panel out of my master closet and into the garage. The closet shares a wall with the garage and the meter base is on the exterior wall directly behind my current panel. Panel will end up about 8 feet from where it is now.
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
I guess it depends on where you're at and how understanding your inspector is.
I wired a couple of additions out west of here this past summer where both properties had existing panels in closet,no city inspector so had to deal with state of nebraska inspector.
He let me come out of the existing ge panel in each with a 4 wire feed to a new sub panel in each addition.
Then I just had to use afci breakers for the bedrooms fed from new panel,and a gfci breaker to feed bath in each addition.
As long as I didn't do any major alteration in existing panel ge was fine with it.
I wired a couple of additions out west of here this past summer where both properties had existing panels in closet,no city inspector so had to deal with state of nebraska inspector.
He let me come out of the existing ge panel in each with a 4 wire feed to a new sub panel in each addition.
Then I just had to use afci breakers for the bedrooms fed from new panel,and a gfci breaker to feed bath in each addition.
As long as I didn't do any major alteration in existing panel ge was fine with it.
txvwnut
Well-known member
We gutted the original panel of all its breakers so it essentially became a large junction box. We then ran the harness which was made of enough romex to match the existing circuits in the original panel. My house is pier and beam so I ran conduit from the new panel to an LB that went through the exterior wall and under the house then up to the old panel.
The main reason for this was when I built my my shop I had to relocate the arial service lines to underground as they were in the way of my shop. So that meant I had to get the entire service setup up to code plus my house had two sub panels that I wanted to get rid of.
L5wolvesf
Well-known member
I was in the same position about 7 years ago. Was told the closet panel had to go. Luckily the other side of the wall is a storage room. Mounted the new and bigger panel and shifted the wiring over without much hassle.
OP
There's a coat closet that backs up to the bedroom closet but I wouldn't consider it easily accessible for a panel because of its size.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
by code NM-b aka Romex is not rated for outdoor use...
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zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
ddawg16
Well-known member
Putting the panel upgrade issue to the side for a moment....
Before you go buy a hot tub, check out Craig's list for all the free ones.
You can find some really good tubs......for free. Someone buys a hot tub....uses it a lot the first year....a few times the second year....then after about the 4th year of no use....they give it away.
So......maybe you really don't need to do the panel upgrade?
Before you go buy a hot tub, check out Craig's list for all the free ones.
You can find some really good tubs......for free. Someone buys a hot tub....uses it a lot the first year....a few times the second year....then after about the 4th year of no use....they give it away.
So......maybe you really don't need to do the panel upgrade?
OP
Looking at a kitchen remodel with at least one extra oven so I'll need to have the numbers looked at.
txvwnut
Well-known member
While the panel is exterior everything is concealed from the elements. Panel upgrade passed inspection with flying colors.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Thats inconsequential. Code says interior only.
Being in conduit doesnt change that. Conduit can and does get water in it so it doesnt shield it from the elements.
NM-b is not rated for wet, damp, or exterior locations PERIOD.
And just because it passed doesnt mean it was done right. It only means the inspector either didnt know how it was done or doesnt know the code. I have seen lots of insectors pass things that they shouldnt have.
What kind of inspector was he?
U do realize that the paper filler in NM-B soaks up water like a sponge? This leads to corrosion among other issues.....
This is why there is UF-b which has no paper filler.