Oil Furnace Emergency shut off switch location?

stickboy1375

Ive always installed them and see them installed in new England, figured it was just " that's what we do" type of situation.

LarryNH914

Thanks for all the replies! They are great!

OK, From what I read I will:

1) Have the switch within a foot on the crawlspace entrance, which is a bulkhead and the only entrance to the furnace area (code)
(outside the entrance would truly be outside the house)
2) Check to make sure there is a service switch on/near the furnace.

Also to keep the Gal happy:

3) An additional Emergency stop switch on the main floor (reason below)?

Is there anything that says I can't or should not have multiple stop switches??

My Gal is concerned that she will not be able to get to the switch in the crawlspace when the snow is piled upon the bulkhead, the only access to the crawlspace, and furnace. (even after has it being explained that she has an easily access switch in the circuit panel on the main floor that would serve the purpose of shutting the furnace off, the furnace is the only thing on the circuit, which I think is the way it should be).

So, to keep the Hard working, rather shop at Home Depot than a clothes store gal happy... (you should be jealous) I am considering having the additional emergency stop switch. If it was my house, I would not bother...

I guess this would also be an excellent time to replace the only 2 wire (no ground) fabric wire left in the house for the furnace (don't even get me started about the wiring! OMG! It was a disaster waiting to happen! One small example: A 3 way switch with a 2 wire (with ground) wire to it..... Yes, the ground wire was being used for power )

biggles

your gal is sharp i was going to mention the snow and smoke comng out of the registers or oil smell then running out side..go for up inside a closet or pantry cabinet..she could always put a pot holder over it....if you drill it into the backplash above your italian granite counter tops NOTE emergency switchs need to be as far away from the action as possible gas or oil...you have a problem shut the oil tank/shut the gas meter knock the emergency down as the fire department shows up....

LarryNH914

OK, somehow you know she has Italian Granite counter tops from the kitchen remodel we did a few years back? Must be the user ID I use everywhere....

Anyhow, for this kind of switch, where you don't want it to be hit by accident, I have already purchased a recessed electrical box. Can't get at Home Depot that I know of. The switch plate is recessed about an inch, and the box uses all of the 3.5 inches you have in a stud wall.

So, the switch would be very hard to turn by accident, and you could hang something over it if you don't like the look of fire red emergency plate (though this could be detrimental, so best to place it in a fairly, but not totally inconspicuous place.)

Still, she would end up with the circuit breaker switch and an additional emergency switch quite near each other, which I think is a bit of overkill.

biggles

the locaion is always high for an adult to control,residential basements always have them high as you open the door to go down #1 so a light switched off isn't the boiler in the winter and #2 all the stuff carried in and out doesn't clip th emergency switch...first thing a HVAC tech checks on residential "finds it off" then changes the stat and the control board $500 later....