Is there anything in the NEC that says that the wire supplying a panel, switch, or component should come in to the top of said panel, switch, or component? And also that the power leaving any device or panel should come out the bottom? Is this an actual convention? Are there exceptions or workarounds?
Thanks, laylow
Electricity doesn't flow uphill.
Wait ... No, I'm confusing it with water.
supplying a
said panel,
device or
convention? Are
No, don 't think so. You have to check with your local code enforcement anyway, so ask them while you're at it.
I'll bet you'll be back later too, asking whether the third prong on a 3-wire outle goes on top or on the bottom . When you get that one answered, then think about which way it goes if it's mounted horizontally.
There IS something somewhere though, union I think, or maybe industrial, that says input's always on top, output's on the bottom. Perhaps that's where the question comes from? It is a convention, but in new construction it's pretty easy to do stuff anyway they want to for convention. So, it IS possible a local code calls for it but I've never heard it mentioned.
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| Is there anything in the NEC that says that the wire supplying a | panel, switch, or component should come in to the top of said panel, | switch, or component? And also that the power leaving any device or | panel should come out the bottom? Is this an actual convention? Are | there exceptions or workarounds?
Power coming it at the bottom and leaving from everywhich direction is actually rather common. The Square-D I-Line series commercial breaker panels are designed with this assumption.
One restriction to deal with is the NEC requirement that when a switch or breaker handle operates in a vertical orientation, then UP must be ON (closed) and DOWN must be OFF (open). Horizontal can go either way. if you have a panel with any breakers (typically main) operating in the vertical orientation, and want to invert their direction, you need to change the affected breakers so they retain the correct direction. That could mean reversing the mounting of a breaker inside and maybe feeding it backwards.
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Most sparkies follow what you have mentioned. There are acceptations to every practice. The biggest problem with bottom feeding some switches is that when open the knives are hot. Pretty cool at 5 kv, yep I found one of these at a university. There are machines where this practice is not followed.
There are bottom fed circuit breaker panels by every manufacture.
Be more specific about your application or talk to the AHJ
Lotta words....no useful information.
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