Protection of the Waterproof Junction Box

What protections should your waterproof junction box have? The answer to that question is extremely valuable to your business. Knowing what features to have in a waterproof junction box is the solution for efficiency and top performance when it comes to your electrical components. West Tool Enclosures provides the best weatherproof junction boxes on the market. With a vast catalog of sizes and configurations to choose from. Get Started here!

It is the key to durability and the reduction of maintenance costs. At West Tool Enclosures (WTE), we adhere to high product quality standards to ensure that your junction box does the trick.

Water Protection

Your waterproof junction box must have watertight features against rainwater, splashing, and stagnant water. There is a high risk that where you install them, whether it be car washes or outside on the streets in wastewater treatment systems, these boxes will be subject to hose-directed water, splashing, and wash downs. Your junction box should be watertight to resist ingress from all these water sources and channels.

At WTE, we position rubber seals and gaskets inside your stainless steel junction box to provide a watertight barrier between the housing and the cover. The gasket and sealing not only prevent the ingress of water, but they can also safeguard your electrical components from the entry of dust, ice, and chemicals.

We use the best quality seals and gaskets, produced from weatherproof and UL-rated closed cell rubber. The gaskets and seals cover two connecting parts and the door hinges. This type of sealing is the stamp of approval you need to take your junction box out in wet environments with confidence.

Continuously welded seams are another tested and tried technique for achieving waterproof junction boxes that adhere to all NEMA requirements. We weld the metal around the seams so that the joint parts become hermetic and one.

Our engineers take caution in this task to ensure that no air is trapped within the seams in this sealing process to achieve a robust and reliably waterproof electrical enclosure.

Other water-protection features for our waterproof junction box include:

The enclosures are designed with fewer seams
Use of gasket fasteners
Strategic placement of fasteners
Using sealed latches and locks to keep out water

Corrosion Protection

Where there is excessive moisture, one other factor usually rears its head: corrosion, which is just another word for rust. For you to obtain durability and positive performance from your waterproof junction box, it has to be rustproof. Otherwise, rust will eventually eat through the metal and let in water, which would then lead to short circuits and catastrophic component damage.

At West Tool Enclosures, all our NEMA 4X junction boxes are of corrosion-proof stainless steel construction. You can ask for enclosures made from 304 grade stainless steel for a moderate environment or the rugged 316 grade stainless steel for harsher environments, including settings with chemical exposure.

Beware of substandard “waterproof” junction boxes that use mild steel and even painted iron. When these metal types get exposed to water and oxidizers, they change to iron oxide. The result is subsequent chipping and a reduction of the structural strength of your enclosure. In an area with strong jets of high pressured water, a rusted junction box won’t hold for long.

Other Ways We Achieve Corrosion-Resistant Waterproof Junction Boxes

The 304 and 316 grade stainless steel that we use have a higher concentration of nickel and chromium, which improve resistance to corrosion. These metals make steel stronger and less likely to crumble.

We use stainless steel of vertical grain orientation to achieve a smooth surface for easy wash-down of water. In contrast, horizontal grain lines trap more moisture and corrosive contaminants.

Finishing (paint) also strengthens the corrosion-resistant quality of our waterproof junction boxes. We use functional paint, including white, for boxes that are to be installed in hotter conditions and black for cabinets targeted for use in colder areas.

Chemical Resistance

For junction boxes used in wet settings where there is also a risk of chemical exposure, the enclosures need to have adequate protections for chemical resistance. At West Tool Enclosures, we can tailor your waterproof junction box to be resistant to fuel oil, engine oil, sodium hydroxide, zinc sulfate, calcium chloride, and other chemicals.

Physical Protections

The best waterproof junction boxes are made from sturdy and robust material like stainless steel to withstand not only the harsh conditions in the environment in which they operate but also safeguard the internal components from unauthorized access. At WTE, we are continually innovating new ways to bolster the physical security of your waterproof junction box and other enclosures.

We use several latch designs for holding the door in closed positions. Options you have with our waterproof junction box latches include:

Compression latches
Quarter turn latches
3 point turn latches

Apart from the latching systems, every electrical enclosure we ship to our clients is furnished with a locking system. Latches enable you to fasten the doors, but the locking mechanism seals the deal when it comes to security and access protection. We make the locking systems tamper-proof but also user-friendly for the repair and maintenance personnel.

What sets us apart from every other electrical enclosure manufacturer is that we adhere to NEMA, IP, and UL standards, even with these latches and locking systems. In other words, you can expect these latches to be watertight, corrosion-resistant, and impervious to all other damaging conditions in the environment of their application so that the rating of your box is not compromised.

Fire Protection

There is a risk of fire in nearly all environments for waterproof junction boxes. For instance, in water treatment plants, decomposing waste releases methane and hydrogen gases. These are flammable gases. Some chemicals used in water purification, including hydrogen peroxide and chlorine dioxide, are also flammable. Therefore an ideal electrical enclosure should be fireproof for dependable performance in these places.

Fireproof junction boxes will shield your components from explosive environments. We maintain a pressure balance between the inside and outside of the box and design them in a manner to minimize internal temperature fluctuations. The openings and gaps in the seals are designed to trap flames before they spread.

Other fireproof qualities of our watertight junction boxes include:

Stainless steel construction—steel is fireproof
Non-flammable rubber seals and gaskets
Hooded fasteners
Externally facing joints and flanges installed with minimum distance between the inner and outer sides of the cabinets
Maximum radial clearance and minimum lengths for shafts and spindle bearings

UV Protection

Prolonged exposure to sunlight is not good for junction boxes. Over time, UV rays start a chemical reaction that may lead to the gradual structural weakening of your cabinet’s construction. The result of prolonged exposure of steel to UV rays, scientists say, leads to an increase in the conductivity of oxide film that eventually accelerates metal dissolution and corrosion. At WTE, we have the answer to this quagmire.

We make your waterproof junction box resistant to UV using glossy light-colored coatings that reflect away UV rays. The use of glossy surfaces also reduces the roughness of the enclosure surface, therefore, reducing dirt accumulation, which is a UV magnet. The final application of aesthetic paint makes these enclosures even sturdier and resistant to UV and its damaging effects.

Be Part of Our Design Team and Create What Works Best for You

You know better than others what type of waterproof junction box is right for your application. So, we are ready to be guided by you. Go to our design tool and follow the easy guided steps to design the configurations you need, finalize your order, and we will manufacture and deliver it in less than two weeks; or register an account and save your builds to receive quotes when you are ready. When we ship it to you, it will be fully assembled and ready for wiring.

For assistance, contact our support team.