Waterproof Electrical Box Connectors
Waterproof electrical box connectors protect equipment from moisture that can disrupt signals, corrode contacts, and damage devices. They form a seal that resists humidity, rain, snow, and saltwater vapor.
PEI-Genesis offers a wide range of waterproof connectors to support your design requirements, including metal circular, high mating cycles, and mixed power/signal. Learn more about these products and how they can benefit your projects.
Material
When you need to connect electrical wiring, the type of material used is critical. Using plastic, molded metals, or a combination of both ensures a strong, durable connection that can stand up to harsh environmental conditions.
Waterproof connectors create a tight seal, blocking out moisture, dust, and other contaminants from reaching the wiring. This prevents the metals from corroding, which can disrupt important signals or lead to failure of your entire system.
In addition to protecting against moisture, waterproof electrical connectors offer other advantages. Insulating materials can also protect against high and low temperatures, as well as harsh chemicals and corrosive elements. Some waterproof connectors are designed to withstand water submersion, which is ideal for marine applications.
Moisture in a junction box can damage your custom cable assembly, causing corrosion and hampering the functioning of your electric circuit. This can cause shorts that put your device and the people using it in danger.
The main components of an electrical connector are the contacts and housing. The contacts, which are called terminals, hold the wires and make them secure in the connector. The housing, which is usually made from a durable, insulating material like molded plastics or ceramics, protects the contacts from extreme weather and environmental conditions. It also isolates the contacts from other electronic devices, preventing them from shorting out.
Design
Waterproof electrical connectors provide a seal that protects internal components from moisture ingress. They’re often characterized by high pin-counts, robust locking mechanisms, and the ability to withstand harsh environmental factors like vibrations, shocks, and pressure.
Many electrical connectors are designed with factors like waterproof electrical box connectors pin-count, power ratings, dimensions, and locking mechanisms in mind. These connectors can be a good option for a wide range of applications. However, when a project involves an environment with a risk of moisture exposure—like rain or humidity—waterproof connectors are necessary to prevent the moisture from impacting performance.
The most common application for waterproof electrical connectors is in outdoor systems, such as lighting, holiday decorations, waterproof plug and socket connector or surveillance cameras. They can also be used on boats and other marine equipment to protect wiring connections from saltwater vapor, condensation, or submersion.
Before using a waterproof junction box, it’s important to ensure that the ends of all wires are clean and straight and have no more than 3/4 of an inch of exposed wire beyond their insulation. This can be done by trimming the excess wire or stripping it with approved wire strippers. If a grounding wire is needed, a pigtail—a 6-inch length of bare copper or green-insulated wire—should be added before connecting it to the ground screw on the junction box. A special green wire nut connector should then be used to join the pigtail and the grounding wire connection on the connector.
Installation
Waterproof electrical connectors form a tight seal to protect wiring connections from moisture ingress. This protection is important because many industrial applications expose electrical components to wet environments such as humidity, rain and snow, or saltwater used for cleaning. This moisture can quickly damage wires, resulting in loss of conductivity and failure of the system.
Waterproof junction boxes offer a practical, easy-to-install solution for wiring applications that require waterproof integrity. Index Marine’s Value Range waterproof electrical junction box kits come with a choice of flexible port options to suit your application. We also stock an extensive selection of waterproof cable glands and accessories. Ensure you choose a weatherproof box that is compatible with your cables, and if necessary, install a cable clamp for each of the circuits that will enter the box. Standard plastic electrical boxes can be fitted with internal cable clamps; metal boxes should have knockout holes that you remove by screwdriver or hammer, then install a locknut-type cable clamp through each hole.
A waterproof junction box can be used in a wide variety of electrical installations, including garden and outdoor billboard displays, tunnel lights, road landscape lighting, underwater lights and street lights. They can also be used on boats or other marine vessels to protect electrical connections from exposure to saltwater and harsh marine conditions. They can also be used to arrange electrical connections in agricultural settings, such as greenhouses, and in commercial buildings and retail facilities.
Applications
Many harsh industrial applications require equipment that can handle a variety of conditions, including moisture. Electrical devices that operate in wet environments must protect against exposure to humidity, rain and snow, and pressurised water used for cleaning. Waterproof connectors allow equipment to continue functioning in these harsh environments without compromising performance.
Moisture within a junction box can quickly lead to corrosion and short circuits, especially when it’s trapped between the inner wall of the connector and its mating piece. This is because the conductive materials in these connectors create friction between them that draws in ambient moisture.
Another common problem is condensation. This occurs when a junction box experiences sudden changes in temperature, which causes the inside of the connector to warm up and then cool down. This rapid transition creates an imbalance between air pressures, and the difference forces fresh air into the connector over and over again, introducing moisture each time.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent this from happening. The most common are waterproof connectors, which are made of silicone and a rubber material. These connectors create a seal by compressing a gasket or an o-ring against the surface of a panel or the surface of a mating connector. This helps to keep moisture out of the connectors themselves, as well as any enclosures they may be mounted into. These connectors are usually very easy to install, and they’re also incredibly durable.