How do you seal open bottom switchgear?

[jimsolympia]

How do you seal open bottom switchgear? Old existing equipment that is occasionally getting water in it from high ground water in the area. How do I seal the bottom to minimize water infiltration? Equipment is set on a concrete floor with SE wires comming up through a large hole in floor.

[hardworkingstiff]

How do you seal open bottom switchgear? Old existing equipment that is occasionally getting water in it from high ground water in the area. How do I seal the bottom to minimize water infiltration? Equipment is set on a concrete floor with SE wires comming up through a large hole in floor.

SE underground?

[j_erickson]

Presuming you have direct burial USE coming through the floor, I would surround the USE with a piece of PVC (cut in half to allow you to put it in) and then fill the large hole with concrete. Then you can seal around the cable or conductors with a seal kit. Raychem makes a nice one.

[brian john]

Seek the assistance of a specialist in sealing concrete.

[charlie tuna]

open bottom switchgear is not designed to prevent the entrance of water. most that i see is mounted on a concrete housekeeping pad and the feeders enter from raceways installed under the slab -up through the pad.. kind of like asking how do you make a 1900 box waterproof???

[j_erickson]

How do you seal open bottom switchgear? Old existing equipment that is occasionally getting water in it from high ground water in the area. How do I seal the bottom to minimize water infiltration? Equipment is set on a concrete floor with SE wires comming up through a large hole in floor.

I think he is asking how to seal the large hole in the concrete. The switchgear is already set on concrete.

[Dennis Alwon]

How do you seal open bottom switchgear? How do I seal the bottom to minimize water infiltration? Equipment is set on a concrete floor with SE wires comming up through a large hole in floor.

I would fill the hole in the concrete base with hydraulic cement. If water is getting in the sides then you may have to raise the slab.

[cdslotz]

Tuna is right. The open-bottom gear should be on a 4-6" housekeeping pad. At the very least, the conduit stubs should be extended above the finished floor or pad, to prevent water from draining into the conduits.
If none of this was done, maybe a professional should be brought in.
Why is water entering this area anyway?

[jimsolympia]

You are right - This is large switchgear set on a concrete floor. I have a photo that would help, but I don't know how to add it to my post.

There is a hole (about 2'x1') in the concrete that the SE wires enter through (from underground). The water is occasional ground water (I live in Olympia, Washington and we tend to get occasional heavy rains) that comes up and gets the floor wet. I was thinking about using rigid foam board and sealling the sides with spray foam so it will stay in place?

[grant]

How do you seal open bottom switchgear? Old existing equipment that is occasionally getting water in it from high ground water in the area. How do I seal the bottom to minimize water infiltration? Equipment is set on a concrete floor with SE wires comming up through a large hole in floor.

Opened bottom switchgear is not intended to be sealed. If you have a water problem maybe you need to install a sump pump to take care of the occasional ground water problem. I am assuming the gear is installed on a raised pad and not at floor level.

for what it's worth..
Grant

[480sparky]

One question: Where is the other end of the pipe?

If it's outside, you may still get water in it due to condensation.

[nakulak]

I seal mine up with fireants :grin:

[j_erickson]

One question: Where is the other end of the pipe?

If it's outside, you may still get water in it due to condensation.

Is there even a pipe? Or is it DB?

[jrannis]

Ask the Jersey guys how they seal their basements

[quogueelectric]

Tuna is right. The open-bottom gear should be on a 4-6" housekeeping pad. At the very least, the conduit stubs should be extended above the finished floor or pad, to prevent water from draining into the conduits.
If none of this was done, maybe a professional should be brought in.
Why is water entering this area anyway?
Or has anyone ever seen this stuff before? I couldnt have put it any better than this post. Maybe some one should call an electrician.

[peter d]

Duct tape. Duh!

[hardworkingstiff]

Opened bottom switchgear is not intended to be sealed.


It's not intended to be over dirt either, is it?

I see this as an issue in that the gear will be exposed to a lot more moisture than if it was installed over concrete with conduits sticking up a couple of inches. The conduits should be sealed (ductseal?) to minimize moisture exposure.