My wife and I have a new construction with radiant heat installed on the underside of the floors between joists, which was in place before the electrical was installed. Electrical inspector burst a blood vessel on rough electrical inspection, saying the heat tubing violates the 3' clearance rule around the panel and demands it be moved (or removed) before final electrical inspection. Seems we can't be the only people on the planet with this issue. Is there any way to resolve the issue without ripping out and moving the radiant heat tubing and in doing so causing a huge cold spot in a main room on an outside wall? Wouldn't a layer (or two) of 5/8" Sheetrock qualify as a suitable barrier in the off chance one of the radiant tubes were to miraculously burst or leak right above the electrical panel?
Electrical – do about radiant hot water tubing above an electrical panel
electrical
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Best Answer
Radiant tubing is secured to the underside of the sub-floor. It is up in the joist bay. This tubing is ABSOLUTELY legal above a panel. Most homes I do these days have hot water radiant and ALL of them have tubing in the joist bays above panels.
This inspector is a renegade and sounds like he likes his power. Also, there is NO "3 foot clearance rule", whatever he thinks that is.
I'd politely ask him for a verification of exactly what code you violated with the radiant tubing.