Making a gasket for a connector

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rob569

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Location
Dacula, GA
I'm looking at a job where, the contractor has installed some 4" connectors in a NEMA 4R box and the connectors do not appear to be suitable for weather proof install, so the contractor is pre-fabbing a rubber gasket. My thought is that the contractor should be purchasing UL listed material for such installations, not making them. I know they make an erkison connector for this installation but a 4" would be costly, but that is no reason not to purchase it and do a professional install. Should not this be UL approved material they should be using. This is a cooling tower that they are installing this on.
 
infinity

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Tell him to use a sealing locknut. That locknut will make the installation code compliant and is rather cheap.
 
LJSMITH1

LJSMITH1

Senior Member
Location
Stratford, CT
raider1 said:
The fitting should be listed for use in the enviroment in which they will be installed.

Chris
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I wholeheartedly agree. :) Sometimes it's not just adding the gasket, but the connector body might be slighly different as compared to a Listed, raintight version (i.e. a larger flange for the gasket to seal against). The point would be that the entire fitting has been tested to comply with UL 514B and NEMA 4X requirements.

Or as Infinity said, you might be able to get away with a sealing locknut, but because it was inside the enclosure, it would expose the cut hole edge to moisture, which in turn could prematurely rust out the area surrounding the fitting in the enclosure. The gasket keeps the moisture away from the area passing through the enclosure.
 
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