Thread: Main Panel under the tub

While the title of the thread may be a little deceiving , I was curious if this is wrong or just a bad idea. This is a new construction house with a crawl space , the main panel is in the garage which is the reason for it being so low in the house.

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Originally Posted by chris mcintyre

I was curious if this is wrong or just a bad idea.

It's wrong because it's a bad idea.

No insulation below the panel.

Exposed facing on the insulation below the tub.

No insulation in that wall where the panel is.

Panel in wall does not meet minimum 1/2" gypsum separation.

IF any water gets behind that wall the panel will rust out, and hopefully nothing worse.

IF that is a spa tub, where it the motor access?

Jerry your slipping

No mention of that pvc male adaptor used as a connector on the ser cable or the concern over the possible damage to the ser cable due to its location ?

Originally Posted by ken horak

Jerry your slipping

No mention of that pvc male adaptor used as a connector on the ser cable

TOTALLY MISSED THAT!

or the concern over the possible damage to the ser cable due to its location ?

Considered that, then realized that is really no different than NM cable under a spa tub ... other than it being "service" entrance cable versus "branch" circuit cable.

I also noted, but forgot to write down, the missing sealant around the cables going down through that bottom plate - needed for fireblocking. I even looked at each of those cables going into those clamps and totally blew over that adapter for the service entrance ... I'll take 40 lashes with a wet noodle and go back to my corner.

Why is it that I'm having a hard time seeing myself using that tub......

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

It's wrong because it's a bad idea.

Panel in wall does not meet minimum 1/2" gypsum separation.

Jerry, curious about this observation. Would two sheets of metal, greater than 24ga. separated by 4" of air, qualify as fire separation? I see panels in garage separation walls all the time but have never given this a thought.

Not picking, honest question.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Panel in wall does not meet minimum 1/2" gypsum separation.

Originally Posted by Vern Heiler

Jerry, curious about this observation. Would two sheets of metal, greater than 24ga. separated by 4" of air, qualify as fire separation? I see panels in garage separation walls all the time but have never given this a thought.

Not picking, honest question.

That metal is going to heat up when there is a fire, and, if you understand the ratings for firestopping there is a T-rating and that T-rating is the time it takes the penetrating item (metal, of course, plastic does not transfer heat the way metal does) to heat up on the non-fire side of the wall/ceiling/floor.

The 1/2" gypsum, which is not fire-rated, provides a temperature/time separation, i.e., slows the travel time for temperature from one surface to another, which is why it is only required on the garage side.

Put a fire on that metal panel and it is going to transfer that heat right through the wall almost immediately, defeating the reason for requiring 1/2" gypsum board as separation.

What if it was 1/2" thick plate steel - no fire is going through that sucker ... but the heat sure will.

Originally Posted by James Risley

Jerry, I know that IPE lumber from Brazil is class A rated for flame spread. Would it be possible to panel a wall between a tub area and a possible fire source and achieve an adequate T-rating. IPE is much heavier than oak.

Only an engineering in that field could say so and sign and seal it - remember also that the panel will be against regular studs.

The better solution would be to make a 5-sided box to fit in the wall and the electrical panel to then be mounted in that 5-sided box - the 5-sided box takes the separation wall "around" the panel. Better yet - relocate the panel to either be surface mounted or to another wall location away from the separation wall as the 5-sided box will be destroyed trying to get all that wiring into that panel ...