Stay Away! Restricted Access!
Boy howdy on this post. What Michael describes could pose a big problem down the road. So a word to the wise to homeowners here. Don't hide the boxes. My inspector finds things like this, and his phrase is...'while we're not code inspectors, we are trained to be code wise'. Sound familiar?
Somewhere down the line there has to be a balance between aesthetically
pleasing and functionality. For some folks, the the sight of an ugly electrical box mounted on the exterior of the property is a sore sight for eyes. More often than not, the remedy is to plant a fast-growing shrub in front of the offending object. Within a year or two, it is out of sight – out of mind. That is, until the need arises for one to actually utilize some of the features of the disgusting object.
One of the things that home inspectors must do is to physically observed all readily accessible breaker boxes and fuse panels. As difficult as it may seem at times, I do my best to comply. However, there are times when I just must write a disclaimer as to the reason an object was not inspected. When this happens, it adds undue expense to the seller as they must now hire a licensed electrician to evaluate the panel after the material has been removed.
Another item restrictive item is the attached ground wire on the weatherproof cover. It is not unusual for satellite or other utility companies to attach groundwires in this fashion in order to provide a good earth ground for their equipment. Sadly, the installer never gives it a second thought as to the remote possibility that the panel will have to be opened sometime in the future. Oftentimes, the ground wire is way too short and the panel will not open more than a few inches.
Although home inspectors are not codes inspectors, they must understand what the codes are without citing them. Generally, caveats such as, "Accepted industry standards" are often used in lieu of the ‘C’ word. In this case, accepted industry standards requires a minimum of 36 inches of free unrestricted area so that the occupant can readily access the panel.The Complete Home Inspections, Team
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