Tin Can You Place A Subpanel Inward A Bath

Your bathroom can accept a lot of electric appliances, such as a water heater, spa tub, exhaust fan, and steam shower. It would be convenient to accept a subpanel inward the bathroom, which would hateful that yous could access the appliances together with equipment along with their controls all inward one home.

Unfortunately, the bathroom is a “no-go” according to coding regulations. What almost onetime subpanels that are already in at that place or how almost a half bath? But more than importantly, allow’second accept a expect at where else yous tin set your subpanel.

As per the IRC as well as NEC, a subpanel tin non live installed in a bathroom or one-half bathroom. While subpanels tin can be protected against wet, the prohibition probable exists because of testify of foolish installation in places similar showers. If the bathroom subpanel was installed earlier 1993, it tin live grandfathered inward.

Subpanels Cannot Be Installed inward Bathrooms

Section E3405.ane (footnoted) of the International Residential Code (IRC) states the next:

“Panelboards, service equipment and similar enclosures shall not be located inward bathrooms, lavatory rooms, dress closets or over the steps of a stairway.”

The National Electrical Code (NEC), which is the national standard in the US, has a similar statement inwards Chapter two Section 240.24(eastward):

“Not Located in Bathrooms. In dwelling units, dormitories, together with guest rooms or guest suites, overcurrent devices, other than supplementary overcurrent protection, shall not be located inwards bathrooms.”

Supplementary overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) are the specific protection for appliances together with equipment in addition to are by and large internal to the appliance.

This way that yous are prohibited past code to install a subpanel inwards a bath.

Another prohibited place for a subpanel is a dress closet.

What Is the Reasoning Behind This Prohibition?

So, why tin can’t you install a subpanel inward your bath?

Your initial thought, similar mine, is likely because water in addition to electricity are non a proficient combination. And you lot would be correct inward that honour; that’sec merely non the whole storey.

I grew upward amongst an outlet in my bath too thought it was so handy.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the safest thought when I wait dorsum. You should accept seen the prongs of the hairdryer that got plugged in at that place! I saw it sparking one time piece the bathroom was humid as well as that was plenty to convince me to never purpose the outlet again!

When my parents decided to spruce upwardly the bathrooms in the home, the structure team informed us that outlets are non allowed inward bathrooms anymore.

This makes a lot of feel to me immediately, then I tin’t imagine that installing an entire subpanel is the best thought either, although subpanels are quite different to, and improve protected against moisture than outlets.

However, there wasn’t e'er something wrong amongst having a subpanel inwards a bath. Older houses had them in that location. The reason that the IRC in addition to NEC had to prohibit subpanels inwards bathrooms is that people trying to purchase a novel house found them in showers!

Perhaps if no one had installed electrics inwards their shower cubicle, you lot power non postulate to discover a different location for your subpanel.

Apart from the involve to proceed panels out of H2O, in that location are about obvious issues amongst the bathroom as a place.

While not the official reason for the prohibition, these other problems amongst installing a subpanel in your bath are humidity, condensation, corrosion, in addition to potentially a lack of sufficient working space.

problems with installing a subpanel in a bathroom

Can Bathroom Subpanels Be Grandfathered In?

What make yous do if you lot alive inward an quondam home that has a subpanel installed inward the bath?

If the family is onetime as well as was built under a different version of the IRC together with NEC that didn’t prohibit service subpanels in bathrooms, and then you lot can belike get it grandfathered inward.

This way getting a let to accept the subpanel at that place, provided the bathroom was built amongst the subpanel or the subpanel was installed before the coding changes. It might live helpful to call inwards a professional electrician or abode inspector for more knowledgeable input.

Subpanels were permitted in bathrooms past the NEC until the 1993 edition, next which, that location became prohibited.

If the bath was built after 1993, and so a panel inwards the bath is a violation of coding and volition postulate to be removed.

If you are looking at buying a family alongside a panel inwards the bathroom, be certain to cheque amongst the sellers for the paperwork too mean near getting an electrician in to inspect it.

If the papers demo that the subpanel was installed afterward 1993, so the seller needs to go it upward to code; it should non fall to the buyer’sec expense.

What About a Half Bath?

A half bathroom consists of ii primary fixtures: a bathroom, and a sink.

The IRC prohibits service panels and subpanels inwards can rooms. A toilet room is a dissimilar refer for a one-half bathroom. This way that, spell the bath group definition (IRC Section R202) doesn’t appear to include them, the actual code in Section E3405.ane prohibits half bathroom locations.

Chapter one of the NEC defines a bath as such:

“An area including a basin with 1 or more of the next: a toilet, a urinal, a tub, a shower, a bidet, or similar plumbing equipment.”

You cannot install a subpanel inward a one-half bath according to coding regulations.

comparison between a bathroom and a half bath or toilet room

Subpanel Alternative Locations

According to Section E3405.5 of the IRC, you cannot use the working space around the panelboards too OCPDs for storage, too they cannot live located in bathrooms, clothes closets, or over stairs.

The NEC Section 240.24, prohibits OCPDs from beingness located where they tin can sustain physical impairment, nearly ignitable materials, bathrooms, together with over stairs.

The IRC Section E3405.2 requires a workspace 36” deep and 30” broad inwards front of the subpanel in addition to extending from the floor to a peak of six’v” (or the tiptop of the equipment if it is taller). Lighting for the service panel is as well required by Section E3405.vii.

So, if not the bath, where tin can yous install the subpanel piece keeping it within tardily access (inward other words, non an exterior shed or the similar)?

Provided these areas don’t violate whatever regulations, according to the in a higher place requirements, here are about locations near your bath that you lot can install a subpanel:

Walk-in cupboard.
Non-vesture closet.
Garage.
Basement.

You tin besides view installing the subpanel inward your attic.

Related article: Can You Put a Subpanel in a Laundry Room?

I recommend checking with a professional electrician where are suitable places to install the panel inside your abode. This would take away any guessing in addition to uncertainty for code-compliant locations.