Tin You Position A Subpanel Inwards A Laundry Room

Home to the washer, dryer, atomic number 26, in addition to oft a issue of other appliances, having a subpanel inward the laundry room makes sense. It’second also more likely to live a purely functional room where wall décor is less important, so a subpanel is not going to be an eyesore in the laundry room.

Let’s await at the recommended (together with legal!) requirements when it comes to installing subpanels inward laundry rooms or moving the laundry into a room that has a subpanel in it.

A subpanel can live installed in a laundry room if the working infinite (36” deep, thirty” wide, together with six’6” high) is kept gratis of pipes, appliances, and stored items. The laundry room likewise needs artificial, not-automatic illumination. Dryers should live properly vented to foreclose lint build-upwardly.

Working Space for a Subpanel inwards the Laundry Room

The full general requirements for installing subpanels tin can be institute inward Section E3405.one too Section E3405.two of the International Residential Code. These sections include the dimensions of the working area of a subpanel:

The expanse inwards the wall extended from the earth to half-dozen’vi” (or to the elevation of the subpanel if it is taller than this peak).
36” depth measured from the forepart of the subpanel.
xxx” width inwards front end of the panel (or the width of the panel if it is wider than xxx”).
The 36” x 30” expanse will too extend vi’6” in summit.

You tin can encounter this surface area illustrated inwards the figure below.

This working area needs to let the subpanel equipment doors to be open to at to the lowest degree ninety degrees. If this means that it has to live larger than the above dimensions, then it has to be larger.

For a subpanel to live installed inward the laundry room, you lot volition demand to brand sure that the working space is clear.

This agency that no pipes, ducts, or unrelated electric equipment tin can be installed inwards this area or fifty-fifty extend into this expanse. Furthermore, you cannot shop anything inwards this expanse, not fifty-fifty temporarily.

What’sec the Importance of the Working Space?

The working space dimension requirements exist for the same argue most of the edifice codes exist: prophylactic.

Should in that location live an emergency, y'all, an electrician, or emergency service personnel will demand slow access to the subpanel. Furthermore, storing items inward this surface area is a burn hazard, particularly if they are flammable by nature (so keep laundry hampers well away!).

Even unproblematic maintenance in addition to repairs would be difficult if the infinite was smaller or filled amongst other fixtures too items; you don’t want to be contorting your arms as well as hands to weird angles piece working alongside electricity.

Illumination Requirements

As per Section E3405.1, the working infinite has to live illuminated with artificial lighting. Furthermore, the lighting cannot live automatically controlled.

The argue that this stipulation exists is that you lot take to live able to view the subpanel at all times and in all circumstances.

Washer together with Dryer Next to Subpanel

If you lot are installing your subpanel inward the laundry room, then the chances are that it volition live adjacent to the washer in addition to or dryer. Are at that place any problems with this?

Washers too Subpanels

I don’t know virtually yous, but my own immediate business amongst a washer beingness next to the subpanel is the idea of H2O getting onto the electrical panel!

Of form, this is something you lot take to watch out for, simply, happily, washers are unlikely to crusade splashes. Moreover, if the H2O pipes have been installed according to code, and then there should not live whatsoever issues. Wires too pipes operate together all the fourth dimension inwards a family.

Dryers too Subpanels

Then, when I was thinking out nigh my dryer being inward shut proximity to the subpanel, I had visions of lint make-upwardly as well as raging fires! However, if your dryer is installed correctly, so there should be no lint make-upwards. Additionally, the subpanel casing is besides designed to keep things like lint out of it.

However, I would yet be diligent alongside cleaning the laundry room in addition to emptying the lint filters of the dryer ofttimes.

You can read nigh venting dryers correctly in the next 2 articles:

Keep the Working Space Clear

While keeping the washer too dryer adjacent to the subpanel shouldn’t position any dandy issues, they nearly surely cannot be placed inwards the subpanel’sec working infinite.

Imagine beingness the on-phone call electrician or electrical engineer and having to go through heavy appliances get-go but to get to the actual chore at paw.

Similarly, inward instance of an emergency like floods or rolling ability outages, imagine yourself having to set for prophylactic together with moving heavy high-voltage objects out of the fashion before yous can cut off the power provide. It takes up fourth dimension and endeavour and increases the likelihood of undesired electrical or burn down incidents occurring.

I Have a Sink inward my Laundry Room

Having a sink inward your laundry room does non alter the minimum run clearance space that must be kept costless too open. Technically, yous call for no greater distance betwixt a sink and subpanel than a shelf together with a subpanel.

However, to err on the side of caution, I would recommend keeping the sink as far from the subpanel equally possible because, dissimilar a washer, splashing is almost guaranteed amongst a sink.

Related article: Can You Put a Subpanel in a Bathroom

Can I Put the Panel inwards Front of or Behind the Door?

To tuck a subpanel on the wall behind your laundry room door mightiness seem like a not bad solution; the door will live able to enter the subpanel’sec working space too is so not permitted.

What almost the walls next to the doorway? Are at that place whatever rules about putting a subpanel there?

I cannot discover whatsoever regulations against installing a subpanel on the wall adjacent to a doorway every bit long as the door does not slide or swing over the subpanel too provided you make no leave items lying in front of the subpanel inward the working infinite.

Why It’s a Good Idea

infographic on why it is ok to put a subpanel in a laundry room

When all the requirements are met, putting a subpanel in the laundry room is a great fashion to salve up on wall space in high-traffic areas like the hallway, living room, kitchen, in addition to dining room.

It’second a bang-up fashion to keep your electrical panel in a condom enclosed space, too, without sacrificing a significant amount of space inwards other rooms that could otherwise live used for greater functionality.