Hey
I have the 20x30 plans for a 1 1/2 story. I will probably extend it to 40 ft. with a full loft. Any suggestions for elec. panel location and hiding the water heater. The building will be off grid for now with a possibility of on grid in the future if the solar doesn't work out.
Hope to start building this spring on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.
Thanks
Steve
I am a fan of outdoor service panels, unless there is an attached garage or mud room where a panel could be located and accessed readily. Service panels are required to have a certain amount of free space in front and under them. Placement over a counter, for example, is not permitted.
Hard to recommend a place for a water heater without seeing a floor plan. If there is a laundry that would be good. Otherwise a closet off a bathroom? An electric heater is easier to locate than gas. Gas come with rules that cover an air inlet for combustion air and need an exhaust vent.
As for Off Grid, that would rule out an electric water heater. Propane and/or solar water heating rules off grid. If you have grid power available for reasonable installation costs you might want to go that way as solar is not cheap, even with falling prices of PV panels. Good hardware still costs about the same as it did 6+ years ago, and batteries have gone up due to lead pricies. If you haven't done so already do an honest estimate of the power required (watt-hours).
If you are extending the plan your layout will likely be different than the standard plan - http://www.countryplans.com/20w_loft.html
There is lots of room for a water heater in the bathroom and I show a location for a tankless heater. The electric panel could go on one of the walls in the bedroom. Check with inspector or electrical sub on your best choices.