I have a customer that bought a house and wants to turn it into a duplex apartment. It would be a basement as one apartment and the upper two floors as the other apartment and another area in the basement for a laundry/common area. My question is this. Can the breaker panels for the apartments be in the common area in the basement or do they have to be in an area so they can only be accessed by the respective tenant? Thanks.
Duplex apartment question
- Thread starter ammklq143
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
The basic requirement - 240.24(B) - is that each tenant must have access to the overcurrent devices that serve loads in their space. There is no rule about anyone else also having access to the same overcurrent devices. For my part, I would not want a tenant in my building to be able to turn off a breaker that serves a load in my space. But the NEC is silent on this issue.
This would not be a concern of yours, but there may be building code requirements that come into play. For example, there might be a requirement that there be a sufficient fire rating on the walls or floors that separate the two living units. You would not want a fire in the basement apartment to spread into the upper apartment, or to release smoke into the upper apartment. I only mention this because I have seen it discussed on one or more of the TV shows that deal with rennovating houses.
This would not be a concern of yours, but there may be building code requirements that come into play. For example, there might be a requirement that there be a sufficient fire rating on the walls or floors that separate the two living units. You would not want a fire in the basement apartment to spread into the upper apartment, or to release smoke into the upper apartment. I only mention this because I have seen it discussed on one or more of the TV shows that deal with rennovating houses.
102 Inspector
Senior Member
- Location
- N/E Indiana
- Occupation
- Inspector- All facets
As an inspector, I would be concerned with the grouping of disconnects under 230.72. If there is going to be a duplex meter installed, then disconnects could be provided at the meter base and sub-panels placed anywhere in the dwelling (except prohibited locations). I would also check to make sure the riser assembly is sized according to the total load being placed on the structure. Table 310.15(B)(6) could not be used (2008 reference) since this is a duplex.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
But the main breaker feeding the entire apartment back at the meter center is still accessible to pretty much everyone anyway, they can't turn off just a specific load in your space but can turn off the whole space.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
The disconnects are normally located outside and accessable to anyone. Those disconnects are designed so they can be locked to keep them from being tampered with.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
They are designed so they can be locked, but most never are. Many exterior rated loadcenters have lock provisions on the cover as well. Interior only loadcenter covers usually need to have optional equipment installed to have lock provisions.
Not trying to point any right or wrong just saying that is the way it usually is.
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