Padlocked electrical panel can be hazard
DEAR BARRY: The people who are buying our house hired a home inspector. His report advised removing the padlock from our electrical panel.
This seems like a pointless recommendation, since there are no electrical problems in the panel, and because there is no ordinance against locking the panel. We’re just trying to make sure no one tampers with our panel.
We previously lived in a highcrime area and had a series of problems until we began securing the panel. We now live in a safer community but feel more comfortable with the lock. What do you think about locking an electric panel? — Alex
DEAR ALEX: In urban areas, where crime is common, electrical service panels are often fastened with padlocks. In suburban or rural communities, tampering with electrical panels is uncommon, and padlocks are rarely used. For general safety reasons, it is best for circuit breakers to be readily accessible. In cases of emergency, delayed access can have serious consequences.
If a circuit breaker needs to be reset on a dark and rainy night, you wouldn’t want to be searching for a mislaid key. If an emergency, such as a fire, requires that the power be turned off, immediate access to the main breaker could be crucial. In fact, fire departments prefer that panels not be locked because it is their practice to shut off the power to a building before fighting a fire. When they have to cut off a padlock, precious seconds can be lost.
Padlocks are not the only ways that access to an electrical panel can be restricted. Service panels are sometimes obscured behind unmaintained foliage. Interior panels can be blocked by storage or by furniture.
The electrical code actually requires 36 inches of unrestricted clearance in front of an electrical panel. For optimal home safety, unimpeded accessibility is a wise practice at all electric panels.
To write to Barry Stone, go to www. housedetective.com.