NEMA 4 Receptacle Cover

[brinkmann27]

We are building a NEMA 4 Control panel which will be certified under UL 508A & UL698A. We want to add a GFI receptacle in the enclosure, which can be used without opening the enclosure. We have found UL listed NEMA 3R covers/gaskets. We don't want to derate the enclosure to 3R. We may remote mount the receptacle if the NEMA 4 cover is not available. Any ideas?

 

[jraef]

2 suggestions:

Check out marine equipment distributors. They will have screw-on or scrw clamped brass cover plates that are actually NEMA 6P (briefly submersible), however I'm not too sure that they will be adaptable to a GFI receptacle. GFI's and hose directed water do not mix well, kind of on purpose if you think about it.

When I used to build panels I would use a hinged lid off of a small NEMA 4X non metalic enclosure and adapt it to mount on the outside as a cover plate. Carlon non-metalic enclosures lend themselves well to this because the hinged lid comes with a gasketed bezel arrangement as the way it normally attaches to it's own box. It is attached with 4 concealed screws located under the lid so they look very neat when you are done. Unfortunately they don't sell the covers alone. To this day I still have a dozen of their lidless boxes floating around in my garage as parts bins. Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[jraef]

Follow-up

Actually, carlon now sells just the cover assembly I was referring to as a stand-alone window kit. Look on page 26 of this .pdf brochure.

http://www.carlon.com/Brochures/2B15.pdf

The smallest one is 6 x 4 but there you go. Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[busbar]

Another approach may be using an industrial-grade receptacle integrally rated for the duty, such as an IEC309 series-2 type. If it is indeed located in a washdown/corrosive area, the connected equipment may be need to be similarly rated.

http://www.hubbellcatalog.com/wiring/datasheet.asp?PN=HBL320R4W

 

[jraef]

Busbar's suggestion is probably better if you have control of both ends of the power circuit, albeit he didn't mention the GFI part. You can get a GFCI feed-through device though, and leave that on the inside of the box then wire out to a receptacle like the one he showed.

My suggestion was assuming that you wanted a "power tool outlet" as is frequently required on remote control panels so that equipment service techs have a place to plug in their drill motor or drop-light, in which case you need to have a standard receptacle. Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[busbar]

My concern is finding a hinged cover for 5-15R devices that has a true NEMA-4 [hose-directed water] rating—typically this style of cover is listed as “damp-“ or “wet-location use. After the panel has been inspected and labeled, the end user makes up a “cheater cord” long enough to allow the female end to be left outside the NEMA-4 area. Yes—a 20A feedthrough interrupter is needed but readily available…

http://www.hubbellcatalog.com/wiring/datasheet.asp?PN=GFM20

 

[jbartos]

Suggestion: Visit

http://www.hubbell-killark.com/versamate.htm

end look for VersaMate receptacles and plugs

 

[jraef]

The difference between my suggestion and those offered by busbar and jbartos is that both of their versions would be logical and necessary if NEMA 4 is required to be maintained during plug-in operation. For that matter, Daniel Woodhead makes standard NEMA 5-15 U-ground plugs and receptacles that are NEMA4X when plugged in, and they are available with GFCI receptacles.

http://danielwoodhead.com/catalog/wiring_devices/WD_wrd.htm

Again though, both ends of the connection must match exactly. If you want to power an auxilliary piece of equipment that needs to be mated to your control panel, this is the way to go. Expecting a portable power drill to have the right style of pin-and-sleave connector or the exact brand of mating rubber cover to match your receptacle is IMHO unrealistic.

The NEMA 4 flip-door approach I suggested would be more universally receptive but sealed only when not in use. You would not be able to use it if someone were hosing things down around you.

It will depend on your (unstated) intended use.

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati