Hello Mark,
Great question!
When making electrical installation outdoors, people instinctively worry about water ingress. However, other hazards including UV exposure, fluctuation temperatures and impact damage caused by flying debris in strong winds should also be considered.
There are a lot of enclosures that are theoretically suitable for outside applications, but before you make you choice you should think about location, location, location.
If possible, you should install the enclosure in a position that provides a degree of protection against sunlight, strong winds, fluctuating temperatures etc. Under the eaves of a roof are a perfect position that offers a lot of natural protection from the elements.
Having chosen your location you can now think about which enclosure is best.
Unless you are making your installation in the middle of a flood plain, you probably don’t need an IP68 enclosure. Such a highly specified housing will add expense to the project and hassle to the installation. Watch our video that explains IP ratings in more detail.
You’ll also want to think carefully about enclosure material to make sure that it will stand the test of time. As a minimum I’d recommend you specify a Polycarbonate enclosure for high UV protection. In some cases you may also want to consider GRP which has a higher level of impact resistance. Spelsberg offers an extensive range of enclosures in all shapes and sizes which are available in these materials. You can use our online product finder to identify which is best for you.
Another way to improve the reliability of an enclosure that will be position outside is to ensure that it’s customised for the job. If you know your precise requirements, then Spelsberg can find an enclosure that is the perfect size and produce custom entry points that meet your need and improve installation efficiency. To learn more about our customisation service look here.
Specified correctly an enclosure should provide many years of reliable service in even the most hostile of outside environments. If you’d like information more specific to your application please message me privately.