Field Scenario

A customer, trying to save wall space, asks whether you can just “eyeball a slightly tighter fit” on a side clearance that’s only an inch or so short of the manufacturer’s specified minimum, reasoning that it’s probably close enough.

What You Actually Do

You explain clearly why “close enough” isn’t a valid standard for a listed clearance requirement, and that the specified minimum is the tested basis for the unit’s safety listing, not a rough guideline with built-in margin — you do not proceed with a known-insufficient clearance regardless of how small the shortfall seems.

Why This Matters

A listed clearance figure is not a suggestion with a comfortable safety margin baked in for you to spend — it’s the actual tested minimum, and installing below it voids the listing and creates a real fire risk, regardless of how minor the shortfall appears.

What a Strong Response Includes

• Refusing to install below a specified minimum clearance regardless of how small the shortfall seems.
• Explaining why the clearance figure isn’t a flexible guideline.
• Proposing a genuine alternative (different placement, a listed clearance-reduction system if available) rather than just saying no.