Electrical Enclosures: Ratings & Basic Maintenance Observations

 

Electrical Enclosures

Electrical enclosures are specialized enclosures that house and protect wiring and other sensitive electronic connections and interfaces, including but not limited to switches, connections, buttons, knobs, and displays.

They protect not only the electrical components within them but also operators on the outside against the risk of electric shock.

Electrical enclosures are also subject to a wide range of different standards that provide comprehensive guidelines for use in specific environments, and which offer different levels of protection against dirt, dust, water, light, and other environmental conditions.

However, successful electrical infrastructure does not end with choosing the proper cable, enclosure, switch, or fitting. It also entails the appropriate periodic maintenance.

Choosing the Right Electrical Enclosure: NEMA Ratings

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association publishes standards for electrical enclosures that specify the type of protection they are capable of delivering. The most common NEMA ratings for electrical enclosures are as follows:

  • NEMA 1: NEMA 1 is the lowest rating on the NEMA standards scale. It provides basic, general protection to the internal electrical components for indoor locations. It also provides suitable protection against the ingress of settling dust or falling dirt.
  • NEMA 2: Provides basic protection against dripping water, for indoor use only.
  • NEMA 3: The next step up, a NEMA 3 rating is suitable for indoor or outdoor applications and protects again sleet, rain and settling dust. Ice may form on the external structure of a NEMA 3 rated enclosure without risk to the internal components.
  • NEMA 3R: Affords the same level of protection as a NEMA 3 enclosure, but a greater level of protection against sleet and a rain-right seal.
  • NEMA 3S: Provides a rain-tight, sleet-tight, dirt-tight seal for use outdoors.
  • NEMA 4: Suitable for indoor or outdoor use; dust-tight and water-tight; protects against dust, ice, rain, sleet, and snow. Protects against splashing and directed streams of water, and against falling and windblown dust.
  • NEMA 4X: Provides the same level of protection as a NEMA 4 rating, with the added protection of corrosion-resistance.
  • NEMA 5: Suitable for indoor-only use; protects against dust and dripping water.
  • NEMA 6: Suitable for indoor and outdoor use; completely water-tight and may be occasionally submerged.
  • NEMA 6P: Same level of protection as NEMA 6 but with the ability to remain submerged for longer.
  • NEMA 12: Protects against dust and dripping water and light splashing; suitable for indoor use only. Does not contain knockouts.
  • NEMA 12K: Same protection as NEMA 12, only suitable for indoor use. However, NEMA 12K enclosures are made with knockouts.
  • NEMA 13: Suitable for indoor use only; creates dust-tight and oil-tight protection for electrical connections and components.
electrical enclosure


Guidelines for Electrical Enclosure Maintenance: Things to Remember

Before administering any maintenance or upkeep to electrical enclosures, it’s important to follow some critical guidelines that are crucial not only to protecting maintenance workers, operators and other staff, but also the operability of your electrical infrastructure, the sensitive components of which may be easily damaged.

  • Maintenance should never be attempted without first shutting off power supplied to all components contained within the electrical enclosure.
  • Maintenance should be performed according to - and only according to - manufacturer guidelines and instructions.
  • Maintenance should only be performed by licensed, accredited service agents.
  • Any accumulated dust or dirt should be removed in accordance with manufacturer recommendations, taking care not to damage sensitive internal electrical components.
  • Take care when cleaning internal equipment or components that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge.
  • The electrical enclosures themselves, as well as the components they contain, should also be periodically inspected for wear, corrosion, and other signs of deterioration.

Electrical Enclosure Maintenance Best Practices

The environment in which your electrical enclosures are installed will dictate what sort of periodic maintenance will be required, but the following are some best practices.

In outdoor locations, electrical enclosures may be exposed to corrosive elements or the ultraviolet light. Inspect hinges and hardware periodically to see if they need to be replaced. Steps can be taken to minimize exposure to ultraviolet light, but eventually protective coatings or finishes may wear off.

Keep in line with manufacturer recommendations for lubricating, finishing or replacing moving parts including but not limited to locks, hinges, hinge pins, and disconnectors, if they are present on the enclosure in question.

The more hostile the environment, the more maintenance may be required. Dust, dirt, mud, sludge, and other “gunk” should not be allowed to accumulate on the exterior of an electrical enclosure. The longevity of even the toughest NEMA 4X rated enclosures can be adversely affected if allowed to suffer under such conditions for long enough.

If your electrical enclosures have a cooling system to help with heat dissipation, you should periodically inspect and service this system as well.

For instance, if the fan or air conditioner has a filter, inspect it periodically and replace it when it gets dirty. Dirty filters will hamper the efficiency of a cooling system.

In addition, if your electrical enclosure’s cooling system has a condensate management system, check it from time to time for sludge, scale and other accumulations that will impact its ability to perform.

Just as you should remove dirt, sludge and other accumulated debris from the exterior of an electrical enclosure, you should also remove it from the cabinet that houses any cooling systems.

In all instances related to inspecting an electrical enclosure or an associated heating or cooling system, defer to the manufacturer’s instructions for inspection, repair and replacement; only allow authorized personnel to perform maintenance and only use manufacturer-approved or official parts to make repairs.

electrical enclosure


Questions About Electrical Enclosures?

We carry a wide range of electrical enclosures, junction boxes, and parts from an equally wide range of brands including but not limited to Boxco, Sealcon and others.

Our enclosures are available in aluminum, polycarbonate, and ABS plastic, in designs that save space, are easy to install, and are useful in a wide range of industries, such as robotics, manufacturing, machinery, welding, and much more.

If you have any questions about our products or their specifications, please contact us at 800-966-2345.

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