Electrical Panels in wet locations

[puddi]

Since an electrical panel cannot be in a bathroom because it is considered a wet location, why is it OK to place the electrical panel on the exterior wall of a house?

 

[wwhitney]

Since an electrical panel cannot be in a bathroom because it is considered a wet location

I think your premise here is not correct. OCPD are prohibited from dwelling unit bathrooms, and the reason that is in the NEC is not clear to me. Could be as simple as the code panel saying "well, dwelling unit bathrooms are typically single user and monopolized by one person; so we don't want anyone else in the household having to deal with a breaker tripping while the bathroom is in use." That's complete speculation, I have no idea.

Cheers, Wayne

 

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[WorthFlorida]

Papakea Resort (condo's) in Maui, my parents owned two of them but have been sold, the electrical panel was in the bathroom behind the door. It was about six feet from the shower, 3 feet from the counter to the panel. Nearly impossible for the panel to get wet from the shower. Four story buildings built in 1977. All commercial grade wiring. that is 20 amp, 12 gauge. Bathrooms are classed as damp locations.

https://www.hew.com/specifications/70555.pdf

 

[wwhitney]

Papakea Resort (condo's) in Maui . . . the electrical panel was in the bathroom behind the door . . . built in 1977.

I checked the 1971 NEC and 1987 NEC, neither one had the prohibition on OCPD in dwelling unit bathrooms now found in 240.24(E). So the requirement is newer than 1987, I'd keep checking but the interface for old NECs at nfpa.org is a bit tedious.

Bathrooms are classed as damp locations.

Bathrooms are generally not considered as damp locations, NEC-wise. Note the absence of bathrooms in the examples listed in the pdf you posted. And if a bathroom were considered a damp location, you'd need to have a weatherproof cover on the receptacle required by the sink (although not an in use cover), 406.9(A).

Now if you built your bathroom as one big shower, so you could wash down the walls with a handheld showerhead whenever you felt like it, that would be a damp location, and the weatherproof cover would be an important requirement for the receptacle.

Cheers, Wayne