You use electrical enclosures to protect devices. That’s the whole point, so if your enclosure is collecting a bunch of moisture and condensation, it really defeats the purpose.
Simply put, you need ways to manage condensation so it doesn’t ruin the devices inside of your electrical box.
Fortunately, that’s not always a painful process. A handful of tips and tricks can help you dramatically lower condensation inside of an electrical box, and many of them stand to save you a lot of money.
Location
You don’t always have freedom in where you put your enclosure, but to the extent that you can pick, these guidelines will minimize condensation.
Naturally, avoid dampness as much as possible. If you can use overhangs or other bits of shelter to avoid dripping water, that helps.
When you can’t control humidity around the enclosure, then focus on temperature. Stable temperatures do you the most good. Any material that heats up easily also cools down easily, and that can lead to condensation, especially in the cooler parts of the late night and early morning.
Seals
You can get enclosures with IP ratings that keep moisture out of the box in the first place. A rating of IP67 or higher prevents the vast majority of vapor from getting into the box. If you aren’t deeply familiar with IP ratings, the first number refers to physical object protection while the second number references water protection.
You actually need both to prevent condensation, as water vapor can get through a lot of different seals. A box that is dust-tight and safe in submerged water will keep most water vapor out too.
When IP ratings are out of the question, you can look for sealing kits that reduce moisture flow into and out of the box.
Allied Moulded Products’ AMVENT4XLG
The challenge with seals is that some boxes need more airflow to manage heat while devices are active. In such a case, you can’t lock the moisture out. Instead, you want to keep it flowing.
You can look at active and passive ventilation. Both are effective. The real goal here is that consistently moving air makes it harder to accrue a nice buildup of condensation.
All things being equal, passive ventilation is actually a little better for this issue, as it never turns off. Also, you don’t need high-powered airflow to minimize condensation. Consistent airflow matters more than airspeed.
Temperature Control
You already saw how temperature impacts condensation. Beyond where you put the electrical enclosure, you have methods and tools that can help you stabilize the internal temperature.
Heating or climate control systems can fit inside some enclosures, making condensation management a snap.
Outside of full-blown climate control, you can pick smarter materials. Non-metallic enclosures don’t exchange heat nearly as easily as their metal counterparts. This makes them naturally resistant to condensation.
Remember, a non-metallic enclosure doesn’t make condensation impossible, but it’s a serious mitigation factor that often costs less anyway. Combined with any other methods, this is your best way to consistently manage condensation across settings.
