outdoor (nema4, 12, 13) electrical enclosures

Protect your wiring & electrical equipment with these reliable NEMA-compliant electrical enclosures!

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Choose from over 241 outdoor electrical enclosures with NEMA 4, 12, and 13 ratings to ensure you get the highest level of protection for your building.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association rates the quality and safety of enclosures, so you can safely work with electricity in your home, office, and buildings.

WHAT IS NEMA4 ENCLOSURE?

NEMA 4 enclosures are designed to protect against the ingress of water and dust and are therefore suitable for outdoor use. However, it is important to note that NEMA 4 enclosures are not weatherproof and don't offer additional corrosion resistance, and should therefore not be exposed to direct sunlight, rain, or high temperatures for extended periods of time. If you are looking for an enclosure that will be exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures, you should consider a NEMA 4X enclosure.

The NEMA4 enclosures give varying levels of outdoor applications protection from the following objects:

  • Falling dirt

  • Windblown airborne dust

  • Rain

  • Sleet

  • Steel

  • Snow

  • Splashing Water

  • Hose-directed Water

  • Corrosion

  • External ice formation

WHAT IS NEMA 12 ENCLOSURE?

NEMA 12 enclosures are designed for indoor industrial, manufacturing, and machining applications. They provide a degree of protection from circulating dust, dirt, oil, and light-splashing water. These enclosures are available in plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel, in a range of convenient styles and sizes.

The main uses of NEMA 12 Enclosures include:

  • Protection from dust, dirt, oil, and water;

  • Suitable for indoor applications;

  • Available in plastic, aluminum, or steel;

  • Range of convenient styles and sizes.

NEMA 12 enclosures lack knockouts and are UL Listed. They are also designed to provide a level of protection against accidental contact with the enclosed equipment. With these features combined, NEMA 12 enclosures offer an ideal solution for protecting your equipment from harsh environments while providing easy access to wiring components.

WHAT IS NEMA 13 ENCLOSURE?

NEMA 13 enclosures are designed to protect personnel from accidental contact with live parts in industrial applications, as well as protect the equipment from dirt, dust, lint, and various dripping non-corrosive liquids. They are intended for use indoors primarily and provide a degree of protection against access to hazardous parts. The main uses of NEMA 13 enclosures include:

  • Housing pilot devices such as limit switches, foot switches, pushbuttons, selector switches, and pilot lights;

  • Protecting against dust, lint, splashing oil, and non-corrosive liquids;

  • Providing a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts;

  • Not protecting against outdoor weather conditions such as snow, rain, sleet, or windblown dust.

CAN NEMA 12 AND NEMA 13 ENCLOSURES BE USED AS OUTDOOR ELECTRICAL BOXES?

A NEMA12 and NEMA13-rated device works indoors but has many of the protections used for indoor and outdoor enclosures.

To ensure you get the best outdoor electrical enclosure, we partnered with Saginaw and Functional Devices to manufacture the 241 products in our inventory. We provide you with the breadth of products you need for your electrical projects.

For example, 121 of our enclosures come with knockouts in the back of the panel to connect the electrical wiring to the device. 120 devices are solid subpanels with defined wiring options.

Furthermore, we carry two keyed NEMA enclosures to lock the door on it for security purposes.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOX AND AN ENCLOSURE?

A junction box is a type of electrical box that is used to join two or more electrical cables. An enclosure, on the other hand, is a type of electrical box that has doors and is used to protect wires and cables from weather and other elements.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF ELECTRICAL ENCLOSURES?

There are three types of electrical enclosures: open, closed, and sealed. Open enclosures allow air to circulate around the electrical components, which is good for cooling. However, they also allow dust and other contaminants to enter, so they aren't suitable for outdoor use or in dirty or dusty environments. Closed enclosures don't allow air to circulate, which can lead to overheating if not properly cooled. However, they do keep out contaminants. Sealed enclosures are the most secure and ideal for use in harsh environments.

There are many types of electrical enclosures per application, but some of the more common ones include:

  • Enclosures for junction boxes;

  • Enclosures for outlet boxes;

  • Enclosures for pull boxes;

  • Enclosures for switch boxes;

  • Enclosures for transformers.

DO YOU NEED TO FIND THE BEST ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT?

Having thousands of electrical supplies in stock for your next project is excellent, but the number of choices makes it challenging to find the best product for your needs.

That's why we want to help. At Blackhawk Supply, we want to be your partner and help you and your customers find the best devices for your projects.

If you have any questions about which indoor or outdoor electrical enclosure to use for your next project, please contact us today. Our team is here to help you.

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as experts in Outdoor (NEMA4, 12, 13) Electrical Enclosures