I found these electrical panels behind a mirror hanging on the wall in a vacant house. Wondered why someone would leave the mirror.

Attached Images

hot shower.pdf (113.7 KB, 98 views)

Mirrors are common in the bathroom.

Question is why would someone install the panels in a bathroom?

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Rick Hurst
Home Works Inspection Co.
5 out of 4 people have trouble with fractions

That's easy, That was an added mother in-law suite. Can you blame him?
Now the question is, did it work?

Maybe those subpanels were fead by a GFCI fuse from the main panel.

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Rick Cantrell
Columbus GA

Panels were probably there first before the room was made into a bathroom. Bad Homeowner job.

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While, according to current rules, you are not allowed to have a panel in the bathroom, I don't know when this requirement was introduced. I seem to recall it being in the late 60's.
If my memory is correct, considering the age of the equipment, this very well might be a legal arrangement.

Also please note that ... a bathroom is not a bathroom unless there is a sink in there. If this were a stand-alone shower room, even the current NEC rule would not apply.

One might try to extend switch and receptacle rules to keep the panel outside the actual shower enclosure .... the goal is worthy, but the logic a bit weak.

Let's face it: some things are so basic as to be self-evident, and one seldom sees a rule against them. For example, I'm pretty sure there's no law specifically against stepping in front of a speeding locomotive.
In a situation like this, the 'enforcement' comes in an indirect way, as prospective buyers use this 'improvement' to LOWER the value of the property.

I would suspect that there is a sink there. I see in the bottom of the picture what appears to be either a soap dish or a toothbrush holder.

I would write it up as a safety issue. Having a fuse panel that close to the shower can't be good. Not to mention, they may not be able to get homeowners insurance due to the presence of fuses and, that most likely, the shower/bathroom wasn't permitted.

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Eric Van De Ven Magnum Inspections Inc. (954) 340-6615
www.magnuminspections.com
I still get paid to be suspicious when I got nothing to be suspicious about!

Well said. "some things are so basic as to be self-evident, and one seldom sees a rule against them"

Codes do not address "stupidity".

As is frequently pointed out ... HIs "are not code inspectors", which is a positive in that as, *not being* a code inspector allows the HI to call out "stupid" things which are "self-evident" and for which there is no rule against them.

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Ormond Beach, Florida
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

I don't see a problem. This makes it very convenient to change a fuse if one blows while you are taking a shower