xena_kim82•13d agoProlific Poster

A client in Tempe told me my panel placement was 'asking for trouble'

I was finishing a residential install last month, putting the main panel in the master bedroom closet. The homeowner, an older guy who used to be an electrician, watched me for a minute. He pointed at the panel and said, 'You're putting it right next to the water heater shutoff valve. One leak and you've got a $900 paperweight.' I'd never thought about that. I always just looked for a central, hidden spot. He was right. The condensation line could drip right on it. I moved it to the other side of the closet, away from all the plumbing. Now I check for water lines, HVAC drains, even roof leak paths before I pick a spot. What other easy-to-miss environmental hazards do you guys look out for during a walk-through?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_vera13d agoMost Upvoted

That's a good catch on the water lines. I always check for the clothes dryer vent path too. If you put a panel on the wall where that hot, lint filled air blows across it, the heat and moisture buildup inside the panel is terrible for the breakers over time.

joelsanchez4d ago

Yeah, the dryer vent thing is no joke. My buddy had his panel on the shared wall with the dryer. After a couple years, half his breakers started tripping for no reason. The electrician found the inside of the panel was full of lint and everything was damp from the steam. Cost him a fortune to move the whole setup.

jessica68113d ago

But isn't that just overthinking a simple install? Most of that stuff never actually leaks.