Electrical room

Main electrical distribution room in a large building.

The back of an antique electrical room, still operational at a US plant as of 2014. All conducting busbars are open and operators must be careful not to touch them.

An electrical room is a room or space in a building ( or craft ) dedicated to electrical equipment. The size of the electrical room is usually proportional to the size of the building. Large buildings may have a main electrical room and subsidiary electrical rooms. Electrical equipment may be for power distribution equipment, or for communications equipment.^[1] Electrical rooms also included communication equipment and the like.

Electrical rooms typically house the following equipment:

In large building complexes, the primary electrical room may house an indoor electrical substation.

Construction features

The construction features of an electrical room vary depending on the scope of the equipment to be installed. Floors may be reinforced to support heavy transformers and switchgear. Walls and ceilings may have to support a heavy cable tray system or busbars. Additional ventilation or air conditioning may be needed, since electrical apparatus gives off heat but the temperature must not rise beyond the tolerance of equipment. Double doors may be installed to allow for maintenance of large equipment.^[1] If utility service entrance equipment and metering is present in the room, special provisions may be made for access by utility personnel. Fire detection and suppression systems, such as carbon dioxide, may be installed.

A large electrical room may have extensive provisions for grounding (earthing) and bonding enclosures of electrical equipment to prevent stray voltage and danger of electric shock, even during faults in the electrical system. Lightning protection requires different measures than protection from power-frequency faults. Electrical rooms may have electromagnetic shielding to prevent interference to nearby sensitive audio or video equipment. In large facilities. An access control system may control admission to the room.

Regulations

The details of layout and construction of electrical rooms will be controlled by local building code and electrical code regulations. Requirements for an electrical room relate to fire safety and electrical hazards. An electrical room is usually required to be secured from access by unauthorized persons; these rules are especially strict where equipment within the room has exposed live terminals. Regulations may require two separate means of exit from a room where the power rating of circuits exceeds some threshold, to allow for quick exit in an emergency.^[2] Rooms containing oil-filled equipment may be required to have fire-resistant construction or active fire suppression equipment in the room and may be designated as an electrical vault. Since power distribution often requires large numbers of electrical cables, special measures for fire resistance of cables and cable trays may be also specified by regulations.

In industrial buildings that handle flammable gases or liquids, or combustible dusts, special electrical rooms may be prepared that have ventilation and other measures to prevent an explosion hazard that would otherwise exist with electrical equipment in hazardous areas. For large installations, it may be less costly overall to use a special room than to install a large number of devices that are resistant to the hazardous conditions. Similarly, in wet or corrosive environments, electrical equipment may be separated in a room that can be protected from the atmospheric conditions.

Building code and electrical code regulations will dictate minimal working space around equipment to allow safe access during maintenance. Practical design of an electrical room will consider layout of the initial equipment and allow for additions over the economic life of the facility.

References

1 2 Albert Thumann, Harry Franz, Efficient Electrical System Design Handbook,Fiarmont Press 2009 ISBN 0-88173-593-0 pages 76-77
↑ Truman C. Surbrook, Jonathan R. Althouse, Interpreting The National Electrical Code 7E Cengage Learning, 2004 ISBN 1401852130, page 34

Rooms and spaces of a house

Shared residential rooms	Billiard room Bonus room Common room Den Dining room Ell Family room Garret Great room Hearth room Home cinema Home office Kitchen Kitchenette Living room Man cave Recreation room Shrine Study Sunroom

Spaces	Alcove Atrium Balcony Breezeway Conversation pit Deck Elevator Entryway / Genkan Foyer Hallway Loft Loggia Patio Porch screened sleeping Ramp Secret passage Stairs Terrace Veranda Vestibule

Utility and storage	Attic Basement Box room / Carport Cloakroom Closet Electrical room Equipment room Furnace room / Boiler room Garage Janitorial closet Larder Laundry room / Utility room Mechanical room / floor Pantry Root cellar Semi-basement Spear closet Storm cellar / Safe room Studio Wardrobe Wine cellar Wiring closet / Demarcation point Workshop

Private rooms	Bathroom Bedroom / Guest room Boudoir Cabinet Jack and Jill bathroom Nursery Suite Toilet Walk-in closet

Great house areas	Ballroom Butler's pantry Buttery Conservatory Courtyard Drawing room Fainting room Great chamber Great hall Long gallery Lumber room Parlour Porte-cochère Saucery Sauna Scullery Servants' hall Servants' quarters Smoking room Solar Spicery State room Still room Swimming pool Undercroft

Other	Building Furniture House plan Multi-family residential Secondary suite Single-family detached home

Architectural elements	Arch Baluster Ceiling Colonnade Column Floor Gate Lanai Lighting Medallion Ornament Portico Roof Vault

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Electrical room

Construction features

Regulations

See also

References