Walked through a new condo building in Phoenix and the panel layouts are a mess

I was checking out a friend's place in a new build near downtown Phoenix last week, and I had to look at the electrical panels. They put the main panel for each unit in the master bedroom closet, right next to the clothes rack. I mean, come on, who thought that was a good idea? The clearance is maybe 18 inches from the door, and if someone hangs a coat wrong, it could block the panel completely. It's not just bad for access, it's a safety thing too. I saw one where the homeowner had stacked boxes on the floor right under the breakers. These builders are cutting corners to save a few bucks on longer wire runs, but they're creating a real headache for anyone who needs to work on it later. Has anyone else run into this kind of lazy placement in new construction lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph4483mo ago

Honestly, that placement sounds pretty smart to me. It keeps the panel out of sight in a dedicated utility space, not some ugly hallway.

claire_fisher413mo ago

Remember my buddy's panel in his garage? The mice chewed through the wires last winter.

jade27120d ago

Put the main panel in the master bedroom closet" that's exactly what my aunt's new place in Tucson has, except in her case they put it behind a sliding door that doesn't even open all the way. You have to slide the door past the panel to get to her clothes and it scrapes against the breaker cover every time. I swear these builders just stick stuff wherever the wire reaches and call it a day. My cousin's a sparky and he said he's seen panels stuffed into kitchen pantries and even behind bathroom mirrors in some of these new builds out here. It's like they forgot people actually need to flip breakers sometimes without moving furniture first.