What are the electrical cabinets, the nuances of choice
To provide electrical equipment on the street with high protection against external factors, it should be placed in an electric cabinet that can provide the necessary safety. Inside such a product, there is no risk of dust, atmospheric precipitation, temperature drops on wiring elements, meter, fuses.
What are
To understand which electrical control cabinet is needed, it is important to understand its main purpose and determine its inherent functions.
The main purpose of the electrical cabinet is to provide the following functions:
- ensuring a high level of safety during maintenance of the power supply due to grounding;
- creation of optimal conditions for the functioning of electrical metering equipment.
To meet the high criteria of safety and reliability, modern boxes for street electric meters are made of different materials with high performance characteristics. The most common in our country are options from:
- metal - high-strength and reliable models that are able to provide electrical equipment with optimal operating conditions. Stainless steel is used for their manufacture;
- plastic are safer models when working with electricity, which have high operational parameters and serve for a long time. They protect a person from the risk of electric shock. A plastic outdoor cabinet is resistant to wear, durable, although a little aesthetic.
Power cabinets differ in the installation method:
- wall-mounted or wall-mounted - mounted on the surface of the wall, therefore they often have compact dimensions, light weight, but at the same time they are durable and functional. Wall cabinet is durable and practical;
- floor - power cabinets of this kind in most cases are selected for installation at large industrial facilities, as they have impressive dimensions, decent cost, high functionality.
Based on the features of the location, the boxes for the electricity meter are:
- built-in or hidden - they are highly esthetic, do not protrude above the wall surface, hiding the contents. But for the installation of such a model, you will need to have or equip a niche, dig channels for cables;
- external (laid on, open) - differ in simpler installation, as they are hung on electrical equipment using self-tapping screws.
Also, the models for the counter differ among themselves in the number of machines that are placed in them. For example, the least roomy product is intended for 2 machines. There are also lockers for 12, 36, 54 and more modules.
Mounting Options
Today you can find different in the way of mounting models of boxes for electrical panels. The hinged version is mounted on the wall so as not to touch the surface of the earth. For these purposes, special equipment and fasteners will be required. The floor is installed directly on a concrete base or ground.
If we are talking about installing the built-in model of the electric cabinet, then first you will need to drill holes for the cable in the niche. The main thing is that the wall should not be load-bearing, since it is strictly forbidden to ditch such a surface.
If there is no niche, you can organize your own false wall with a niche, using drywall for these purposes. Next, there is placed an electric shield, the walls of which are previously coated with an adhesive composition. It is also worthwhile to additionally fix the structure using self-tapping screws and gypsum for greater reliability and only then proceed to laying cables and installing electrical equipment.
Device
The enclosure of the electrical cabinet is made of steel or plastic sheets with a thickness of 0.5 to 0.8 mm, and the mounting plate is made of steel with a thickness of 1 to 1.5 mm. Products can be produced as a frameless design for hanging or floor mounting with a door, screen or false panel. The walls of the cabinet are powder coated with an weatherproof coating on the outside, and galvanized from the inside. This gives them high strength, resistance to wear and the influence of external environmental factors. Depending on the size of the model, its weight changes. The hinged box for the electric meter consists of the following elements.
| Basic structural elements | Characteristic |
| Door | It allows you to reliably close the units inside the cabinet from access by outsiders, the effects of precipitation, dust. |
| Frame | It is made of metal, plastic, may have a special coating that improves performance. |
| Dean rake | Allows to fix automatic machines and the counter. |
| Mounting holes, half holes for cable routing | For some plastic products, they are represented by marks in the places most convenient for drilling, or breakable hatches. The metal wall cabinet has pre-arranged openings. |
More expensive models may have a touch-sensitive display, various types of locking mechanisms, and other components. The more functions the box is able to perform, the higher the seller will demand a higher price for it.
Specifications
Depending on the type of outdoor cabinet for equipment, its appearance may change. Open models do not have doors, and closed products are equipped with one or two doors. The door is equipped with a lock with a special insert, serving as a reliable guarantee of the waterproof structure. In the open state, it deviates by an angle of not less than 120 °.
The higher the IP protection class characteristic of a particular cabinet, the more comfortable operating conditions are provided to power units inside it. This characteristic determines the degree of isolation of units from negative factors: dust, ultraviolet radiation, dirt. Higher protection class corresponds to a large number after the letters IP. For example, the IP20 model is an apartment option, that is, it is suitable for installation in a city apartment, since it does not have a high degree of protection against high humidity. At the same time, IP 21 - 2Z is installed indoors without heating, and designs with protection class IP44 can be mounted outdoors, but under a visor. Street constructions must have protection class IP54 and 66.
The design of the structure as a whole least of all requires the attention of the consumer when choosing, since it does not significantly affect the functionality of the product.
| Specifications | Execution |
| Resistance to high / low temperatures | Able to withstand without consequences the ambient temperature in the range from -40 to + 400C. |
| Weight | From 2 and no more than 20 kg. |
| Wall thickness | From 0.5 to 0.8 mm. |
| Management ability | Manual, electronic. |
| The number of installed machines | From 1 to 54 or more. |
| Recommended Installation Height | For boards according to PUE - at a level not higher than 2.2 m, but not lower than 0.4 m from the floor level. For switchboards for switchboards for electricity metering devices - at the level of 1.7 m. |
Selection criteria
If you decide to pick up a hinged box for electricity or other types of equipment, pay attention to the following factors:
- Are there openings for the supply of cables from the column, as well as their conclusion to the structure. If they are not, you will need to acquire equipment for organizing such holes on your own. And these are additional time and money costs, therefore models with pre-designed holes are more convenient;
- whether the model is equipped with a window for taking readings. This is very convenient, because you don’t have to open the box every time if necessary to pass the testimony to the service provider. If there is no window, then the model should have a lower price;
- Is it possible to seal the structure. In some cases, sealing is a prerequisite for the operation of electrical equipment. If it is not possible to carry out this operation on a box, it is impractical to acquire it;
- Are there places for mounting a circuit breaker?
Such a characteristic of the model as moisture resistance is extremely important. It will determine how reliably the cabinet protects the electrical equipment from moisture. Manufacturers indicate this parameter in the product instructions with the letters IP and the numbers following them. For households, variants marked with IP20 are suitable (in this case, the equipment will be protected from the risk of clogging with dust particles from 12.5 mm in size, but not from increased humidity) and up to IP65 (these boxes will provide the units inside with reliable protection against dust, moisture rain spray). For installation on the street, it is better to prefer options marked with IP54. The higher the degree of protection of the product, the higher cost it will have. But excessive savings at this stage can be completely impractical, because in a box without a high level of moisture protection, equipment can quickly become worthless.
If we talk about the manufacturer of such products, the models “Electroplast”, Mekas, IEK, TDM, Legrand are more popular on the domestic market. It is worth noting that experts advise selecting an electric meter and a box for it from one manufacturer, since it is in this case that the meter and box are completely joined.
Design (form, color scheme, texture of the external panel) is the least important factor when choosing a box for electrical equipment, since in most cases it does not affect its performance. If you want to choose a very beautiful model or box in an unusual color scheme, you will have to overpay for exclusivity.
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