Can LV panel be installed next to a breaker panel?

[sda]

Do those actually need to be in an enclosure?   The flushmount kit looks like its just an open plastic frame.  Usually if mounted indoors and no exposed wires all they need to be is accessable for maintenance.  You'd have to read the instructions to make sure.   Maybe just frame up a box in the wall and cover it with an access panel made up of wood trim and plexiglass, like a picture frame.

 

[pete_c]

Yup; it appears to be perplexing situation.
 
My setup in the midwest went to a utility room with the fuse panel in one section and the LV subdivided in autonomous sections.  That said the surge / lightning protection for the HV is totally separated from the LV lighting protection.  I use what came with the house and what I added.  Such that there is the ground stake, conduit and water pipe grounds.  My legacy phone, serial, RG-6 while all surge protected have their own autonmous ground paths.  I did also separate out the servers / racks to another area totally separate from the ingress of the LV wiring; such that there is patch panel to patch panel connectivity from the one section to the other section.
 
I also have one chase here that runs from the basement to the attic.  Its just LV wires.  I did build a framed access panel out of wood and painted it the same color as the rest of the room.  It is behind some light easily moved furniture. 
 
In Florida the fuse panel is some 20 feet or so from the wiring closet with the LV stuff.  Everything is totally separate in different rooms.
 
A few years back helped a friend in the initial installation of a surge protector with a direct connect to the fuse panel.  That did involve a finished wall adjacent to the fuse panel in the finished basement.  The suggestion was to cut the drywall and mount the surge protector on a sub plate next to the panel with it open around the drywall and just finishing the edges.  Not a "pretty" set up but just functional. 
 
Locally a neighbor here for solar power, battery charging circuits et al cut a square hole on the cover of the LV PVC box and glued a piece of plexiglass to it such that he could see the LED status.  It was not a hinged cover so to get to the electronics he would have to remove the 4 screws holding the cover on.  This to me is cleaner though than using a hinged cover; but that is my opinion.

 

[Del91574]

How about a basic plastic access panel and then you cut in some generic LED holder plastic lenses for the largest LED's (can't remember trade size) above the individual LED's?
 
Monitor and look clean at the same time.

 

[pete_c]

Hopefully here not a hijack but more related to housing DIN mounted power supplies for my new LED only landscaping power supplies.
 
While on this topic and sort of related looking here for a "plastic" box to house a DIN rail and 5 DIN 12VDC power supplies. 
 
That said I was thinking of a plastic cover for just looking at the status of the LEDs on the power supplies; but not necessary to their function.
 
I haven't really found anything out there in internetlandia that will suit my needs right now.
 
This does relate to my conversion of my outdoor lighting from 12VAC to 12VDC.  This is a relatively tiny footprint to the original 4 1000 watt toroidal transformers that were in place (each had outputs of multivoltage / multibreakers per zone).  I did mount the original outdoor rated LV toroidal transformers in the house versus outside.  New circuits did go to each of the toroidal transformers.
 
The attached picture is what I started with a while ago.  This step is still an intermediate step to a solar powered battery setup I would like to go to.  Right now the whole setup is controlled by one UPB switch for all of the power supplies.  I would like to automate the 12VDC per zone pieces instead sometime in the near future.  I have started to utilize multicolored programmable LED lighting such that I can remote and change the colors of the LED lamps via RF.   Looking though for zoned multiple colored LED control though versus only one LED control.
 

 

 

[Neurorad]

Do those actually need to be in an enclosure?   The flushmount kit looks like its just an open plastic frame.  Usually if mounted indoors and no exposed wires all they need to be is accessable for maintenance.  You'd have to read the instructions to make sure.   Maybe just frame up a box in the wall and cover it with an access panel made up of wood trim and plexiglass, like a picture frame.

Yes you're correct. Each module is its own enclosure. Work2Play had the same idea about framing up a box. Little more work, and wouldn't look 100% professional - but a solid, affordable, and 'legal' (to code) idea.

The power module is designed to lay flush with drywall, framed by a specific Eaton C-H wall plate. Most enclosure screw covers aren't exactly flush with the front of the enclosure, limiting the idea of using that Eaton wall plate mounted to the cover. Someone else suggested a plexiglass window in a hacked enclosure, in CT chat. Maybe that would be easy, and actually 'to code', and probably better than just cutting holes for the LEDs, as DEL suggested.

Thanks sda, Pete, and DEL.

I think I just need a couple days to weigh the pros and cons of each option, and use some good judgement.

 

[Del91574]

Rather than a hole, I was referring to an LED lens, mounted to the access panel (or through). If the LED doesn't cut it, easy enough to extend a small piece of acrylic rod to proximity of the existing LED on the unit.
 
It gives you the added benefit of still being able to access the bottom knockouts of the enclosure.

 

[Neurorad]

Acrylic rod - cool idea, to transmit the light.

Trying to make a lens or rod look professional would require some expertise/experience, I'm afraid.

I'm leaning toward a 4" deep enclosure with a screw cover, and a cutout for the power module. I have the flush mount Eaton plate already, so an exact cutout wouldn't be needed. Mounting the enclosure with the plate perfectly flush might be tricky, but not impossible.

The only drawback - and it might be a deal breaker - would be that the Eaton flush mount plate would be flush with the drywall, but the enclosure cover would need to be slightly recessed.

Maybe with a clean cut of the cover, I could mount the plate to the inside of the cover, allowing me to mount the cover proud (sticking out in front of) the drywall.

I could probably have a small square cutout of the steel cover done professionally, for pretty cheap. I could probably figure out a way to cut an ABS or other plastic cover myself. Hmm, always looking for a use for my Dremel....

 

[Neurorad]

Here is a pic of the Eaton steel flush mount plate, FWIW.

http://www.cesco.com/resources/786685/535845-ProductImageURL.jpg

 

[snakevargas]

Rather than use a piece of acrylic rod as a light pipe, how about using a chunk of toslink fiber optic audio cable. Quite a bit of light comes out of one if you look at it straight on. It's flexible and easy to work with. There are premade terminations to make it look nice.

 

[Neurorad]

Thinking this over the last few hours, I think using the Eaton flush mount plate will be a PITA, trying to line it up nicely.

I'll look for a 4" deep enclosure, with a plastic cover, I can cut a window into, and add an acrylic window. Trying to keep it simple.

Arlington has a 4" deep plasric box that may work, depending on the depth. Their drawings show the depth to the pivot point of the hinged cover, but not the max mounting recessed depth. Go figure. I'll call them tomorrow for that dimension, or a CAD file.

 

[Neurorad]

Arlington enclosure has a hasp, and hinge, so can only recess ~2.5". 
 
6" deep polycarbonate enclosure, 12" x 10", clear hinged screw cover, removable feet - Allied Moulded Products AMP1206CCH, $53 plus shipping:
 

 
Specs PDF  http://www.alliedmoulded.com/UserFiles/My%20Media/PDF%20Drawings/Polyline%20Enclosure%20PDFs/updated%2012%20and%2014s/AMP1206CCH.pdf
 
UL Listed - but I don't think for a recessed application.  Ships with removable feet.  I would need to drill the top knockout, add a side knockout for the LV cables, and mount it to the adjacent stud.  So, some slight modifications required, but not as much work as adding a window to a solid cover.
 
Back to the main problem with this approach - front will stick out 2" in front of the load center above it.  I think I'll risk it, and yank it out when it comes time to sell, if the inspector doesn't like it.
 
Edit - I may have to go a size larger, on the length.  $60 for 14 x 12 x 6" enclosure, plus shipping.