Labelling Panels?

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midget

Senior Member
Most people label panels after they do finish...right? :p lol...I've seen a bunch of panels that just aren't labelled, and I go to turn off a circuit...and I have no clue what breaker it goes to. :p I think I'm gonna make a panel schedule for my panel over Christmas break...do I need a circuit tracer? Or can I just my voltage dector/receptacle tester once I turn off a circuit to see what goes off, then label it accodringly?
 
charlie b

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Labelling Panels?

I once drove my wife and the kids to distraction, by making them help me with the following experiment. I made a list of every overhead light and every receptacle in the house. Then I turned on all the lights, and plugged something into every receptacle. One by one I turned off a breaker, and said ?go.? We each went through our assigned rooms, and reported which things had lost power. It was a crude method, and engineers greatly prefer ?elegant? solutions. But it worked, and it took only about 10 minutes.

That being said, I am yet to come across a panel in the field with an accurate panel schedule.
 
M

midget

Senior Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

Well yeah, not to say the schedules I see are accurate, but some of them are *close* to the right breaker...so I at least have soem idea of where to start flipping. :D
 
P

pierre

Senior Member
Location
Westchester County, New York
Re: Labelling Panels?

Our office goes to about 450 service inspections a month. I would say that maybe 100 have the panel labeled at the time of inspection.
It is required no if ans or butts.
Here are some typical responses:
1. It costs too much money to do that.
2. I don't have the time.
3. No one else does it.
4. No other inspectors ask for it.
5. I never heard of that rule before. YEAH RIGHT :D
7. Would you believe my dog ate it.
8. How do I do that?
9. All I want to know is does it pass!!!!!
 
M

midget

Senior Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

I mean...I would think it would make it easier for everyone if you made a schedule, and it would be pretty easy if you just did it when you did rough...of course, stuff might change though...It's a Code requirement you have it labelled? Where's it say that? I would think it was just common since to label it. :D
 
J

jimwalker

Senior Member
Location
TAMPA FLORIDA
Re: Labelling Panels?

A portable radio will help and you can do it by your self.
Just how small can we write to jam every item on that label.

living room north wall,liv fan ,hall east receptacle ,hall bath light,front door coach light.

I have labeled thousands with LIGHTS and RECEPTACLES with ditto marks for the next 10 or so under it.It meets code.This is safer IMO as no one thinks they killed a circuit to only find they were wrong.I tell customers if they intend to do any work to turn off the main.Thats only sure way they will be safe
 
tom baker

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Re: Labelling Panels?

Charlie you haven't seen the panel schedules I use. I use excel and make two copies and they fit inside a clear enevlope on the door inside. If I make a mod I mark up both copies, and take one with me to correct.

All: The 2005 NEC has a new rule on panel schedules, more detail is required
Lights is a violation
Lights, 1st floor is OK
 
charlie b

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Labelling Panels?

I have an Excel spreadsheet for panel schedules as well. This one does the demand calculations, has pull-down menus (e.g., for panel size or voltage level), and even tells you if the panel is overloaded. Sorry, I can't share it, as it is owned by the company that created it. But a simple blank schedule with no "bells and whistles" is easy enough to create.
 
P

peter

Senior Member
Location
San Diego
Re: Labelling Panels?

Instead of vague things like "Lites, bedrooms", "bedroom #2" and "hallways", it would be more useful to include a small diagram to specify exactly what is connected to what.
~Peter
 
M

midget

Senior Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

Originally posted by charlie b:
I have an Excel spreadsheet for panel schedules as well. This one does the demand calculations, has pull-down menus (e.g., for panel size or voltage level), and even tells you if the panel is overloaded. Sorry, I can't share it, as it is owned by the company that created it. But a simple blank schedule with no "bells and whistles" is easy enough to create.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a nifty program... :D
 
C

clayton

Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

thats the exact problem i ran into tuesday.
some contractors remodeled some offices/labs
and then i couldn't find anything, to make a modification, just had to start switching breakers,

and we've got emergency panels, common lighting panels, Instrumentation panels, and so on and so forth.

labeling is a must in my book, code or no :)
 
6

612278

Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

Hi everyone-

Has anyone snapped off a breaker marked bathroom to find out that you just shut off a PC that some has been working on for 7 hours in a completly different area of the building like I have?
 
M

midget

Senior Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

LOL

No...but there are 3 GFIs in our kitchen, and I thought one of them was going to under cabinet ligthing...so I pushed the test button on them all, and shut off the cordless phone on which my dad was talking to his grilfriend...opps. :D

[ December 09, 2004, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: midget ]
 
J

jimwalker

Senior Member
Location
TAMPA FLORIDA
Re: Labelling Panels?

I did run a service call at a doctors office to change some receptacles to gfci.First thing i asked at receptionist desk was are all your computers on bat back up as i will be turning some breakers off.Answer was yes.Proceceded and guess what,YOU TURNED MY COMPUTER OFF.I informed them that i asked first.Turns out only receptioist had ups.DAAAAA
Good grief they are as cheap as $125 at sams.I have 3 of them in my house with exstended bat i can run like 12 hours with no electric
 
M

midget

Senior Member
Re: Labelling Panels?

Originally posted by jimwalker:
Midget no effence but you need to learn a lot more.Keep at it and start with 210
Click to expand...
None taken...thanks for the suggested reading. :) I should. It's got a lot of good information in it. :)
 
George Stolz

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Re: Labelling Panels?

Originally posted by midget:
It's a Code requirement you have it labelled? Where's it say that? I would think it was just common since to label it. :) )
Originally posted by Charlie B:
But a simple blank schedule with no "bells and whistles" is easy enough to create.
Click to expand...
How do you keep it consistent? Even on my spec homes, A/C's pop in intermittently, options change, and whatnot. Do you have a system? I would think the only way to have consistency would be to leave knockouts in the panel next to "A/C." What do you do?
Click to expand...
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Re: Labelling Panels?

George, Midget is a student. You can see the profile information of a member by clicking this
profile_ubb6.gif
icon in the top of an individuals post.

Roger
 
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