Do corrision resistant enclosures exist?

[mark32]

Alright, I've called a number of shops in search of a 4x enclosure that would house a load center but no luck. Does anyone know of a place that would custom build a 4x enclosure in which they would supply and install the buss, busbars, dead front, ect, ready for me to hang?

 

[GeorgeB]

Alright, I've called a number of shops in search of a 4x enclosure that would house a load center but no luck. Does anyone know of a place that would custom build a 4x enclosure in which they would supply and install the buss, busbars, dead front, ect, ready for me to hang?

It may be that you have already looked and industrial units are too overpriced, but companies like Hoffman, Hammond, and Entrelec all have NEMA 4X in suitable sizes as catalog items. In systems I've designed and installed in paper mills and food processing plants, they are very common. I went to the Hammond site (they are usually a little lower $ than Hoffman) ... see http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/p082_1418n4ss304.htm for a start in stainless, or http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/p140_phw_hduty.htm in PVC. The parent corrosion resisting page is http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/index.htm

 

[sameguy]

Budd Industries

 

[ed downey]

Try this

www.eaton.com/ecm/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=41563

 

[zog]

It may be that you have already looked and industrial units are too overpriced, but companies like Hoffman, Hammond, and Entrelec all have NEMA 4X in suitable sizes as catalog items. In systems I've designed and installed in paper mills and food processing plants, they are very common. I went to the Hammond site (they are usually a little lower $ than Hoffman) ... see http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/p082_1418n4ss304.htm for a start in stainless, or http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/p140_phw_hduty.htm in PVC. The parent corrosion resisting page is http://www.hammfg.com/pages/s2_corrosion/index.htm

My company builds them but as George said, nothing this small, Hoffman boxes are great for this type of thing.

 

[mark32]

Thanks Ed

Thanks Ed

Thank you for the links George and input from sameguy and zog but Ed's link shows just what I am looking for on page 4, can't believe it took so long to find such a product. I'll give them a call tomorrow, thanks all.

 

[weressl]

Don't go alum. near salt water. The alum. will corrode like steel due to oxidation. As mentioned go with a 3r stainless steel enclosure.

Copper-free aluminum is widely used for marine applications and electrical products in corrosive areas.

 

[weressl]

Thank you all for the input. Forgive my ingnorance, but if I were to purchase any of these 4x, non metallic, etc, enclosures, would the guts come with it? If not, what are my choices, to take the guts from a load center and install that in the new enclosure? Do I mount an entire panel inside the new enclosure? I see that I could have a custom one made but that seems to be too expensive.

You are probing at a crucial question taht is often ignored, eg. it is fine to protect the enclosure from rotting away, but what happens on the inside? The walls of an enclosure do not stop the corrosive atmosphere from reaching the insides and damaging the components. Using dry air or nitrogen and purging a gasketed, sealed enclosure will keep the gremlins out. There is also chemically active gizmos available that supposed to absorb bad stuff from the air, but I don't put much faith in them especially when dealing with larger enclosures. They also need to be replaced after a while.

 

[jatrottpe]

Oil refinery atmosphere (Non hazardous areas only) and salt water atmosphere, we utilize Marine Grade Aluminum Panels custom made from a local panel shop in NJ, the interior can utilize any majors breakers.

http://www.gavangraham.com

 

[macmikeman]

Something else you may want to try, Wesco used to carrry a paint that contained a good deal of powdered stainless steel in the mix that is really good at protecting 3R boxes from corrosion. Matter of fact it is on my meter socket and it does a great job of it. Alloy Bond liquid stainless steel is the product name. I don't know if it is still sold, its been since yr 2000 when I last purchased any but it is working really well anyplace I used it since that time. Cost will be much less than a custom box if they have it. Edit: I just found a link to the paint-http://www.burkeindustrialcoatings.com/

 

[Dexter C]

The Nema-4X type enclosure is designed for those locations

 

[mark32]

I just received a 125a main lug 4x Cutler Hammer CH panel made of fiberglass, the cost w/mark up and tax was $420 and it's a beauty. Thanks for all the help, especially Ed Downey for the link.