Stud bay too narrow for my service panel!
The stud bay allocated for the service panel ended up at 14-1/8″ wide inside to inside (was not exactly 16″ on center) while the electrical panel I purchased is 14-1/2 inch side to side so it will not fit as is. The panel is a high quality Cutler Hammer unit. The building is sheathed, sided, dried in and electrical rough in is in progress. The two studs are 2×6 ………blocking is installed and drilling is done in the blocking and in the top plate. And of course the sheathing is heavily nailed into the studs from outside before siding. Moving one of these studs seems like mission impossible at this point. The incoming conduit coms through the foundation into this stud bay so I cannot move the panel to a different bay.
I need to fit the panel to continue with electrical rough in.
Lacking other ideas, I plan to use a router to remove 1/4 ” from the inside of the two studs where the panel is supposed to fit. I would appreciate other ideas.
Replies
I'd probably just use a chisel, though I might get my Multimaster out and see if it could help out in spots.
(Actually, one might be able to use a Multimaster to cut through some of the nails and give the stud enough flex to cram the panel in. Especially if "assisted" by a sledge hammer.)
Sawsall, chisle, router....whatever gets it done
and leaves you wearing all ten fingers still
I think you would be better off to cut one stud out and move it over. It's faster and you will have more room to work with.
Mark
I'd get the guy that cut the block at 14 and nailed it off to come back over, cut the nails in that block and try to persuade one of the studs or both, over to where they belonged in the first place.
Not all simple jobs are for the laborer.
I typed in an edit that got lost because my access was denied, so here it is. And I agree with you, but the opening should have been wider for the panel. If the stud was a eighth over, the panel still wouldnt fit.
I think a great big notch in a 2x6 is called for, 3 1/2 inches deep, with a new stud on the other side from the notch. then you would have plenty of room.
Well then
Pc. of cake. Get a 10 or 12" circular saw and plunge cut a bit in each. wonderbar it out and there's your 14-1/2
I still think I'd try to wedge what he's got over, if no go then bring in the artillery. There's no finish on the interior.
Side bets that every knot in those 2x6's are in the area.
It occurs to me that you could take a 14-1/2" long piece of 2x4 wedge it in at an angle, and begin hammering on the high side, forcing the nails to bend and kind of "slot" the wood a bit. Do this twice, one piece above the opening and one piece below. There is probably enough "give" in the nails and wood for this to work.
just do it...
If you had acted on your first instinct to rout out a little off each side you would have been done faster than looking for a "better" way.
My first impulse would have been similar [remove wood] though the approach would depend on what's handy.
I checked for posts this morning and only saw the first two so I got after it this morning hammer and tongs (router and chisles actually). The router would not get it all so I needed to rough out the rest with a chisle. It all worked out okay and I got the panel installed and secured. I ended up removing 1/4 inch from each stud for the length and depth of the panel. The two bys are a little compromised but not much. I can't see that sistering them is necessary from a strength point of view.
Thanks for all those suggestions!
KDSlats
I find it very strange to see a panel installed between studs ,we usually install them over studs ,
when i built a couple houses in B C canada the did it this way so they were lacking insulation
what is the reason for this .and the meter was installed this way, we usually install the meters on the finished walls seem's easier to water proof
anyway just wondering
Side bets that every knot in those 2x6's are in the area
Sounds like ya been there and done that - which is why the plunge cut is SO much easier than a chisel. <G>
BTW, ans 8" sidewinder cuts deep enough to not even need a chisel for that last 3/8" depth.......
Remodeling................
Where all bets are off.
Under lessons learned:
Know where the panel is going to be located, and install two 14-1/2-inch spacers at the sill and top plate, so you know you are going to have the width you need.
When I was in Vegas, we were installing the panels when the slab was poured. The exterior rated panels were mounted to two steel risers, that got cast into the foundation. The temp power for the construction was then provided by intalling two weather proof receptacle boxes that were screwed to the steel risers, and were fed with two 20-amp GFCI breakers. Typically this was on a garage wall. So now you have two 20-amp GFCI circuits to use for the power tools.
The framers then built that wall in place to fit around the breaker panel.
The downside was that the sparkies had to work with the top of the panel hot when they terminated. All the wiring was run adjacent to the breaker panel and labeled. The Inspector would come by and bless the wiring before you tied to the panel, and come back in the afternoon, to check the wiring in the panel.
When the house was dryed in the weather proof covers came off, and a normal cover went on.