Sub Panel in Attic

[Tom35]

I'm wiring the unfinished upstairs of my home. Should I be concerned about the excessive heat in the attic? Will it cause pre-mature breaker trippage?

[Wgoodrich]

Why would you want to install a subpanel in an attic ? How many circuits and what kind of load is in this attic. What is the ceiling height ? Is there bedrooms is so then windows as required. Tell us more what you are doing in this attic, how much room in that attic and why not install branch circuits from main service panel to the attic to serve what you have up there.

Curious

Wg

[Wgoodrich]

There is a post in the electrical section just below this building subject as a header. There you will find much dicsussion about putting a panel in an attic. The excessive heat if high enough can effect the operation of your panel. The lising and labeling by your manufacture has a temperature limitation on their panel and breakers. Refer to those manufacturer temperature operating range to see if approved in this attic location.

There are other concerns. This attic must have an approved access being a permenant set of stairs to that attic to meet the accessibility of that panel NEC requirement. Drop down stairs would not meet this requirement. Then you must have a minimum of 6 1/2 feet head room and 30" dedicated wall space ceiling to floor and 30" dedicated approach ceiling to floor to meet clearance requirements of this sub panel.

Many concerns on this subject more than operating range you should consider. An attic will have a minor load making me question the value of a sub panel in that attic area.

Good Luck

Wg