Meter Box letting in water

[PeterW]

Had a quick look today at the meter box as it's raining (again) at site and I've noticed again that there is water tracking around the inside of the frame and dripping down and landing on various bits of the contents ..!

 

The box is perfectly level and it's a BS approved box so I'm at a slight loss as to why it's happening ..?

 

I'm considering adding a foam seal into the top of the box but surely these things shouldn't leak ..?

 

 

Alternative is to build an enclosure over them both as they are on a gate wall. 

 

Replacement isn't an option as they have services installed. 

[Onoff]

Try first drying the foam seal out and giving a good dose of silicon spray.

 

Sounds daft but are you sure it's rain getting in and not condensation?

 

I see this a lot and use these to stop it:

 

https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/pressure-compensation-components/0838805/

 

Tbh a cheap fix would be a bit of sill or even felt etc to hang over the front.

[PeterW]

3 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Try first drying the foam seal out and giving a good dose of silicon spray.

 

There is no foam seal, just a loose GRP door and that's what is letting the rain in. 

 

Not too worried about the other side as that's got an IP65 enclosure in it, just seems odd that water is getting into this one. 

[ProDave]

I have to say I am totally underwhelmed by the "quality" of standard UK meter boxes.  My main gripe being just how fragile the hinges are, and how easy they are to break if you don't treat them very gently.

 

Letting in water does not surprise me in the least, that's what I would expect from such a "quality" design.

 

Any electrician designing stuff to live outside permanently will use a decent IP rated sealed enclosure. Yet for out mains distribution kit, this excuse for an outside electrical enclosure is what we are stuck with. (I wonder how the DNO would react if you offered them a proper sealed IP rated enclosure but not to their "standard" design)

 

In my case the meter boxes are in a section of "fence" so if water gets in, it can run out of drain holes at the bottom with no harm really done. Not so easy when it's built into a brick wall.
 

[PeterW]

13 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Any electrician designing stuff to live outside permanently will use a decent IP rated sealed enclosure. Yet for out mains distribution kit, this excuse for an outside electrical enclosure is what we are stuck with. (I wonder how the DNO would react if you offered them a proper sealed IP rated enclosure but not to their "standard" design)

 

So to answer both of those questions, I did ...! I have access to an IP65 injection moulded box with double doors and it's ideal for this but DNO declined as apparently a meter box has to be a certain height above the floor and it wouldn't fit - looking at their connection kit (sloping fuse/connector) I can see why they prefer this route. 

 

Everything on "my" side is IP65 with the exception of the isolator for the house feed - I can see me installing a neoprene seal in the top edge of the box assuming the hinges can take the pressure ..!! 

[Onoff]

Just been out to the garage as I knew I had a NOS roll of this:

 

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/single-sided-foam-tapes/2050899/?searchTerm=205-0899&relevancy-data=636F3D3126696E3D4931384E525353746F636B4E756D6265724D504E266C753D656E266D6D3D6D61746368616C6C26706D3D5E283F69292852537C5253207C52532D293F5C647B337D285C73293F5B5C732D2F255C2E2C5D285C73293F5C647B332C347D2426706F3D313426736E3D592673743D52535F53544F434B5F4E554D4245522677633D4E4F4E45267573743D3230352D30383939267374613D3230353038393926

 

Struggling to remember which site it was bought for as it's probably 20 years old. Still in the bag and you'd have been welcome to it to try but I can see the backing paper is separating from the foam which probably means the "sticky".....isn't!

 

Tbh it would have cost more to post.

[PeterW]

Thanks @Onoff ..!

 

Just ordered 2m from fleabay of a round 8mm neoprene foam to see if that will fill the gaps and create a seal.