panel box installed upside down,Problem or not

[Kenneth P. Kotowski, 458]

Can any one answer this Question? I did an inspection on a brand new home and the main breaker is on the bottom. Is this legal or not, first time for everything.

[Speedy Petey]

With newer panel there is no such thing as "upside down". Most all main breakers now move side to side allowing the panel to mounted "breaker up" or breaker down".

As long as no breakers move up and down it is fine. Key is if any breaker moves up and down, UP must be ON and DOWN must be OFF.
If the breaker moves side to side this is a non-issue.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

With newer panel there is no such thing as "upside down". Most all main breakers now move side to side allowing the panel to mounted "breaker up" or breaker down".

As long as no breakers move up and down it is fine. Key is if any breaker moves up and down, UP must be ON and DOWN must be OFF.
If the breaker moves side to side this is a non-issue.

In restriced areas I see SQ D panels mounted side ways so 1/2 of the breaker move one way and 1/2 move the other way.
Are you saying this is incorrect.
...Cookie

[Speedy Petey]

Originally Posted by rcooke

In restriced areas I see SQ D panels mounted side ways so 1/2 of the breaker move one way and 1/2 move the other way.
Are you saying this is incorrect.
...Cookie

Yes, but it was not always. These panels were very legal for a while. We see them all the time, but not just restricted areas.
Older small QO panels had a row of breakers across the top and a row across the bottom. Similar to today's styles but horizontal.
I am not sure when the code change came about prohibiting them. Maybe Mike W would know. He is *ahem* a little older then me.

[Mike Whitt]

In 240-81 of the 1975 cycle says up must be on but in the 1968 cycle 240-25(d) 0nly says that they must indicate if they are on or off nothing about up on and down off.

I don't have a copy of the 1971 cycle but maybe Joe T does. He is about the same age as me.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

Yes, but it was not always. These panels were very legal for a while. We see them all the time, but not just restricted areas.
Older small QO panels had a row of breakers across the top and a row across the bottom. Similar to today's styles but horizontal.
I am not sure when the code change came about prohibiting them. Maybe Mike W would know. He is *ahem* a little older then me.

So if that is the case only Bulldogs should be mounted side ways.

Ha ha Finding new Bulldog breakers could be very expensive.

...Cookie

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by rcooke

So if that is the case only Bulldogs should be mounted side ways.

Well, sorta. It is still legal today to mount a panel sideways as long as the breakers are 'up' when on. This would preclude the person from putting breakers in one whole column. As soon as someone uses that nonconforming column, then the violation comes into play.

I think it is still popular, and perhaps even legal, to mount a panel sideways in Canada. Seems like I see an aweful lot of sideways pictures of panels out of Canada.