So, is there a 5 foot clearance rule for water heaters? (Please give me the article # if there is...) This would mean the panel or the water heater would have to be moved to a different room, there is no place in the utility room that is 5 ft. away.
Or do I just need to move it over one stud bay to clear the water heater as per working clearances (24" wide x 30" deep and up to ceiling...)
The lack of GFCI's, and other problems aren't really an issue (yet) although I intend to suggest many improvements.
Tom, is the working clearance part considered beyond the authority of Allegheny Power, or were you referring to the lack of GFCI's, etc.?
The inspector only seemed concerned with the water heater/working clearance problem and the other violations mentioned were my own observations thrown in to prove a point...
BTW, the inspector is the only one in this area until I pass the test...
![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/wink.gif)
My main concern, not really an issue here, is the situation where an unsafe condition is ignored by the customer due to roadblocks created by the code.
It is my belief that the intention of the code is safety, and when a nitpicky or "minor" violation thwarts safety by financially overwhelming a potential customer to the point of declining the work, then the code has failed.
I want to also point out that I'm not quick to avoid code, I prefer to do things right. But this has been a lesson to me especially if I become an inspector.
