What are Pop boxes actually called?

[480sparky]

Well, let's see. The interior of a raceway run outside is considered a wet location. Therefore you cannot run NM through it because NM is not listed for a wet location.

The interior of a 3R enclosure installed outside is not considered a wet location. Breakers are not listed for wet locations.

So here's my problem. If a raceway which is sealed up pretty damn good is considered a wet location, how is it that a 3R enclosure is considered a dry location with all it's slots and openings, none of which are even gasketed. It's like Swiss cheese in a driving rain.

Either go to a NEMA 4 or, better yet put it inside. But the NEC, not being a design guide doesn't care if the breakers have to be replaced as long as their failure doesn't burn the house down.

Then again what happens if corrosion prevents them from tripping?

-Hal

Uh..... why are you asking ME to justify what the rules are? I follow them, not make them.

Perhaps you should ask those who MAKE the rules to explain them.

If you have an issue with the rules, then DO SOMETHING about it.

[hbiss]

Why do you think I'm asking you to justify anything? You have nothing to do with it. I'm just stating the facts so that anybody who is interested can agree or disagree.

The inside of the raceway rule was added because the hand wringers got all worked up about people running NM in a conduit across their front porch, it had nothing to do with the condition of the conduit in the real world.

If there were breakers failing outdoors and houses burning we'd know about it.

And if the Romex in conduit outside were failing and burning down houses we'd know about it too. Why are the hand wringers worried about NM in conduit and not service panels outside.

Why not do something about it? Like AFCIs, you can offer all kinds of arguments but their mind is made up.

-Hal

[jumper]

Why do you think I'm asking you to justify anything? You have nothing to do with it. I'm just stating the facts so that anybody who is interested can agree or disagree.

-Hal

Well Hal, you quoted him when expressing your opinion so that would imply you were addressing him. That is what I inferred also. Post #59.

You may have wanted to speak to the general audience, but that is not how it totally came out.

[hbiss]

Ok, I see that. Didn't mean anything, I was too lazy to put it in my own words so I copy and pasted. Sorry 480.

-Hal

[JFletcher]

But if the pop cover were made of wood and covered in siding it would be perfectly acceptable, no?



Any other purely personal ideas with overwhelming lack of evidence to support them you want to inflict on the whole country?

Yes, it would be. What about the cover makes it 'wrong': that it's not permanently constructed (as part of the exterior wall, like you mention), that it isn't sealed well, ???

If one used a proper weather-rated gutter under the panel, that would be fine too, yes?

~~~~~~

NM coming in thru the back of the panel, while legal, is a more problematic install than it coming in thru the bottom like shown. At least with AC disconnects; every one I've seen with bad corrosion problems, the wire came in thru the back. Lack of/deteriorating caulking caused rainwater to get in and rust up everything.

The 'pop box' shown looks like siding (or were there when the siding was installed); there is a matching piece above the panel and one covering the drop above the meter

[LarryFine]

I am on the Right Coast, and have never seen nor heard of the afore-mentioned pop-box. We normally use the not-legal-but-allowed-anyway PVC conduit and LB method to bring cables from the crawl space into exterior panels.

[kwired]

My question is what keeps water from entering this thing in the first place?

As a homeowner I might be more concerned where that water goes if it does enter then I am about getting a little water on the outside sheath of NM cables.

If the thing is smaller then the panel and butted directly against panel that helps, but we get rain that travels nearly horizontal at times here.

Any condensation that does form within panel drains to within this space also.

[LarryFine]

Simple answer: never caulk the bottom edge/side of anything you attach to anything else.

[jumper]

I am on the Right Coast, and have never seen nor heard of the afore-mentioned pop-box. We normally use the not-legal-but-allowed-anyway PVC conduit and LB method to bring cables from the crawl space into exterior panels.

I have neither seen or heard of them till this thread. VA, NC, or MD.

[DRGREG]

Here we call "pop" "soda", so should I ask for a soda box? Oh yeah, we have basements so we don't need them.