
Enclosure Rain Hoods & Drip Shields

Electrical enclosures are designed to house industrial components and to protect them from the surrounding environment. They are also designed to protect operators from electric shock. They come in many different shapes, sizes and materials. Some things to consider when selecting the proper enclosure would be the number of components housed inside and what material and rating will provide the appropriate protection. Electrical enclosures that are NEMA Type 4 and 4X for indoor and outdoor use are automatically assumed to be “water tight,” which they are not. Additional accessories can be added to help prevent any unwanted liquid or debris from entering the enclosure.
Enclosure rain hoods are mainly used to protect thermal accessories, usually fans, installed on the outside of electrical enclosures from snow, rain or sleet. Rain hoods can also be installed on top of flat roof electrical enclosures. This can help to prevent the build up of liquids, dirt, dust, minerals and debris. If corrosive solids and liquids are allowed to build up on top of an enclosure, the integrity of the coating and material may be compromised, which can lead to corrosion and liquid and debris entering the enclosure.
Enclosure drip shields are designed specifically to prevent dripping water and settling dust from entering the electrical enclosure along the top of the door frame. Installing drip shields can also minimize the risk related to prolonged exposure to rain, snow and ice being trapped in the external cavity of the door which could lead to water absorption into the gaskets.
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Electrical enclosures are cabinets that are designed to house electrical components. Their main function is to protect the components, as well as to protect the operators from electrical hazards. Enclosures are typically made of solid plastics, fiberglass and metal materials, such as carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
One of the most important things to consider when selecting an electrical enclosure is the NEMA rating. NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturer Association. They have developed a rating system which determines the types of environments an electrical enclosure can be used in.
NEMA 3R enclosures. The NEMA definition of a 3R enclosure is as follows: ‘Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts, to provide a degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against Ingress of solid foreign objects such as falling dirt, to provide a degree of protection with respect to harmful effects on the equipment due to the Ingress of water, rain, sleet or snow, and that will be undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.’ NEMA 3R enclosures provide adequate outdoor protection while providing significant cost savings over NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X enclosures.
NEMA 4 enclosures. They provide all of the same protections found in the NEMA 3R enclosures with two additional protection elements, protection against wind-blown dust particles and protection against hose directed water. NEMA 4 enclosures provide this additional protection using a gasket material to prevent water or dust from entering the enclosure,
while the NEMA 3R enclosures rely on enclosure design and gravity to assist in diverting water and dust.
NEMA 4X enclosures. They provide all of the same protections found in the NEMA 4 enclosures with one added protection element, corrosion resistance. NEMA 4X enclosures are typically made of either stainless steel or fiberglass.