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Electrical Enclosures: Why They’re Essential For Custom Cable Installations!

Jan 31 2022

Electrical enclosures are an important part of custom cable installations in any commercial building and its control panel design. Choosing the right enclosure to install requires optimal features and measurements that can affect the flexibility, efficiency, and maintenance of different custom cable solutions. They’re a key part of protecting your valuable electrical equipment from a devastating shock. That’s where EuroBC can step in for assistance.

Our company specializes in customized electronics manufacturing solutions that work according to high industry standards. We’re also a reputable wire harness manufacturer that has provided exceptional services to many clients in British Columbia. We adhere to strict provincial regulations in regards to wiring installation, which has helped us focus on our efforts in delivering excellent electrical enclosures. 

For many of our commercial clients, they may be unfamiliar with the purpose of electrical enclosures in commercial spaces. We’ll go over the different types of electrical enclosures available in the market, where they’re used, and the differences between that and a junction box.  

What Is the Purpose Of An Electrical Enclosure? 

The main purpose of an electrical enclosure is to protect important electrical or electronic equipment from dangerous electrical shocks (that could lead to more serious building fires). Enclosures are usually in the shape of a cabinet or box made from rigid plastics or metals such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. They offer added protection against hazardous, non-hazardous, and circumstantial environmental conditions.

Enclosures are often used in many types of industrial or utility buildings, wherever there is important electrical equipment. They may also shield your commercial building from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. Regardless of the environment, enclosures shield them from the elements and keep exposure to dirt and dust to a minimum. 

Electrical enclosures are also utilized when your electrical equipment is dangerously close to high levels of moisture. Situations involving high humidity, large bodies of water, and other forms of moisture could lead to disastrous results if not protected by enclosures. The same can be said for chemical corrosion, where these dangerous liquids could further damage equipment or endanger workers.  

If your facility or commercial space is near a chemical plant or oil/gas area, enclosures will definitely be added to not only protect electrical equipment but also contain factors that could lead to combustible gas explosions. So if we have not made it very clear so far, electrical enclosures are a very important asset to have for your commercial building. 

What Are The Types of Electrical Enclosures?

Different electrical enclosures are made from hard metals or plastics to keep their shape and effectiveness intact. The enclosures are manufactured to safeguard and handle both hazardous and non-hazardous conditions in an environment, as well as any other specific condition. 

There are many types of electrical enclosures available to purchase and install in the market today. Some examples include auxiliary enclosures, standard cabinets and enclosures, cases for electrical switches, gutters, wire ways, and wiring troughs among many others. These applications can be efficiently used in a commercial building space. 

Where Are Enclosures Used?

Enclosures are often located near specific places that house crucial electrical equipment that helps function your entire building. Among the places electrical enclosures are used include circuit breakers, contactors, control panels, and switches. Additionally, they’re also installed near areas that use distribution boards and panelboards or have telephone cabinets in place. 

Electrical enclosures are also really useful in buildings that have electrical and telecommunication rooms or electrical vehicles that house much different charging equipment. They’re also of important use in chemical and manufacturing plants, general utility buildings, and companies that regularly operate mining, oil, and gas facilities. 

These days, enclosures are created to be increasingly adaptable for a variety of applications. They must be scalable to provide the most value to the commercial building owner. Spare space measurement requirements are set around 20% when designing and installing enclosures, to reassure there’s enough space for different wiring applications. We’ll take into account what type of control panel you’re working with and accommodate you the best we can in the future.  

What Is The Difference Between A Junction Box And An Enclosure?

To wrap up our discussion on electrical enclosures, let’s cover the differences between electrical enclosures and junction boxes. The starkest detail is the size between them, with junctions measuring smaller than 5 inches by 5 inches while the largest enclosures can go as big as 18 inches by 16 inches. 

Enclosures, meanwhile, also have different style covers like a screw cover, hinge with screw cover, and hinge with latch cover. Junction boxes, on the other hand, are only available in translucent covers that make it easy to inspect wiring inside the box. 

Electronic enclosures are an overall useful asset to have to protect your important wiring applications. Contact EuroBC today to inquire more about them, as well as our other products and services.