
Disconnect Enclosures

Disconnect enclosures are protective enclosures designed to house and protect electrical equipment used for disconnecting electrical circuits. They are commonly used in industrial and commercial settings to ensure the safe operation of electrical equipment and to protect workers from the hazards of electric shock and arc flash.
Disconnect enclosures are typically made from materials such as carbon steel or aluminum and are designed to be durable, weather-resistant, and tamper-proof. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be customized to suit specific applications.
Inside the disconnect enclosure, there is typically disconnect switches or circuit breakers that can be used to turn off the power to a specific piece of electrical equipment or to an entire electrical system. This allows workers to safely work on the equipment or make repairs without the risk of electrocution.
Disconnect enclosures are also designed with safety features such as lockable doors, warning labels, and clear markings to indicate the presence of high voltage equipment. Some models may also include ventilation systems to prevent the buildup of heat and moisture inside the enclosure.
Products
FAQs
What is a flange mounted disconnect?
A flange-mounted disconnect is a type of electrical disconnect switch that is mounted onto a flange or panel. It is typically used in industrial and commercial applications where electrical equipment needs to be safely disconnected for maintenance or repair.
Does Hoffman have a line of disconnect enclosures?
Yes, Hoffman offers a line of disconnect enclosures for industrial and commercial applications made from materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum. They can be wall mount or free standing and are available with a single door or double doors.
Disconnects vs Circuit Protection
Disconnects
Disconnects are intended to remove and restore power from any electrical equipment that is downstream of that disconnect. In most cases, this is a manual operation and is actuated only when power needs to be removed or restored to a particular circuit. Disconnects do not typically provide any type of state monitoring ability nor do they offer any type of circuit protection, they are simply used to remove and restore power. It is common to see electrical disconnects used in situations where larger amounts of voltage are present. External disconnects function by allowing the operation of switching power to be performed outside of an electrical enclosure. It is also common to see disconnects require power to be shut off before the enclosure can be opened. This type of disconnect is found on circuits with high voltage potentials and allows for much safer operation when the electrical equipment inside the enclosure needs to be accessed.
Circuit protection devices
Circuit protection devices, such as circuit breakers and fuses, function differently from disconnects in that they have the ability to disconnect power to any devices downstream from their location by monitoring current and power surge events. They are not designed to operate as a switch. When using fuses, if an overcurrent event or surge occurs, they will need to be replaced as they are only intended to be used once. Circuit breakers can be reset, but are not intended to switch power on and off as their main function. In many cases it is necessary to have both an electrical disconnect and a circuit protection device to ensure that any hardware on the circuit does not become damaged because of overcurrent or power surges.