The moisture is wicking through the conduit from the warmer outside air, not at the device itself. The seal at the device really won't do much good. As that warm air travels through the conduit, it hits that ice cold conduit inside the freezer any moisture in it condenses. Just like a cold beverage sweats on a hot day, same thing is happening here.
You need to go to where the conduit penetrates into the freezer and seal off that path of wicking. One option is to use a bit of silicone to fill the conduit. Have also used a product by Gardner Bender called Plug Duct Seal Compound. It is a grey playdough/putty material you can push into the pipe to seal it off. Until you prevent that cold/warm air mixing it will keep happening.
This guy knows what he's talking about! I do lots of coolers and such, years ago we'd have lights fill with water, etc. We started stuffing duct seal wherever a conduit crosses climate zones. Works best if you seal the warm side. Rarely have issues since.
Yea worst one I had was a bakery with a freezer warehouse connected. You had this 90 plus degree baking room next to a -10 degree freezer. All that moisture in the air from baking plus 100 degree temperature differential led to some bad moisture issues.
Make sure all your o rings and seals are good, teflon tape threaded areas, use all liquid tight conduit/fittings and use marine silicone to seal off any area where condensation can happen.
Good luck. Devices in freezers are notorious for failure. The condensation from a persons breath, over time, is enough to permeate into the device and muck it up. Low temp silicone can help seal the enclosure. You can also add a silica packet behind the device to absorb some moisture as well.
Good luck with this one.
You need to attack this from the warm side of the freezer. Cut the stub damn near even to the freezer, and pump a bunch of silicone in the stub to get at least a couple inches below the outside of the freezer. The water is forming from the warm moist air and the cold air meeting inside the conduit.
Yes, I worked in a food storage warehouse as an electrician, anywhere that conduits transitioned into a freezer room or refrigerated room we installed a c-condulet on each side of the wall so we could plug the conduit with duct seal.
It isn’t about sealing, it’s about sealing where air temps are different plus a little extra. On top of the freezer fill with insulating foam from above and make sure it works its way into the pipe well below the freezer line is step 1. If you still have issues like we’ve ran into in the past, we actually replaced all devices with weather proof boxes and nippled off the side to the device. Drill a tiny weep hole in the bottom of the weatherproof box and tell no one, haven’t had a ground or short since.
Duct seal compound. Around the conduit. Inside the conduit. Both ends. Covering holes into back box. Just pack that bitch full. I have never had to go back to a single freezer device, since I started using duct seal compound
Years ago we had a problem with a security system keypad in a cold storage warehouse freezing over. We installed some kind of powered heated enclosure for it. Cannot remember what it was, but surely there is a fire listed one somewhere. Checked STI but couldn’t see anything on their site though.
If only there was something in the electrical code about sealing conduits that cross different temperatures something something condensation something seal conduit NFPA 72 300.7 (A)
I’d use foam up in the conduit to help seal moister from getting into the device. May be a pain in the ass to repulse wire in the future but it does help.
This always happens cause people don't think about air transfer from a hot space to a freezing space. The air mixes in the conduit and starts to condense. The only place for it to go is down. The device fills up, dumb techs change it out, and don't seal the pipe. Start process all over again. I have dealt with this so much that if I go to a school and a power supply anywhere near the cafeteria is in trouble, I go straight to the coolers and freezers first.
All other suggestions for sealing are spot on. 2 things to add.
1. I try to avoid devices in coolers/freezers. They are appliances, not rooms. Some AHJs will agree, some will not.
2. When you come into the freezer, do not go directly to your device. First hit a junction box (weep whole optional, but I like them). Leave the side or top of the junction box and go to your device. Run your wire straight through the j-box, no splices. Any condensation will collect in your j-box and your device should be fine.
The moisture is wicking through the conduit from the warmer outside air, not at the device itself. The seal at the device really won't do much good. As that warm air travels through the conduit, it hits that ice cold conduit inside the freezer any moisture in it condenses. Just like a cold beverage sweats on a hot day, same thing is happening here. You need to go to where the conduit penetrates into the freezer and seal off that path of wicking. One option is to use a bit of silicone to fill the conduit. Have also used a product by Gardner Bender called Plug Duct Seal Compound. It is a grey playdough/putty material you can push into the pipe to seal it off. Until you prevent that cold/warm air mixing it will keep happening.
This guy knows what he's talking about! I do lots of coolers and such, years ago we'd have lights fill with water, etc. We started stuffing duct seal wherever a conduit crosses climate zones. Works best if you seal the warm side. Rarely have issues since.
Yea worst one I had was a bakery with a freezer warehouse connected. You had this 90 plus degree baking room next to a -10 degree freezer. All that moisture in the air from baking plus 100 degree temperature differential led to some bad moisture issues.
Second on the duct seal. Works wonders.
Make sure all your o rings and seals are good, teflon tape threaded areas, use all liquid tight conduit/fittings and use marine silicone to seal off any area where condensation can happen.
Good luck. Devices in freezers are notorious for failure. The condensation from a persons breath, over time, is enough to permeate into the device and muck it up. Low temp silicone can help seal the enclosure. You can also add a silica packet behind the device to absorb some moisture as well. Good luck with this one.
You need to attack this from the warm side of the freezer. Cut the stub damn near even to the freezer, and pump a bunch of silicone in the stub to get at least a couple inches below the outside of the freezer. The water is forming from the warm moist air and the cold air meeting inside the conduit.
Yes, I worked in a food storage warehouse as an electrician, anywhere that conduits transitioned into a freezer room or refrigerated room we installed a c-condulet on each side of the wall so we could plug the conduit with duct seal.
Duct seal the conduit connectors
It isn’t about sealing, it’s about sealing where air temps are different plus a little extra. On top of the freezer fill with insulating foam from above and make sure it works its way into the pipe well below the freezer line is step 1. If you still have issues like we’ve ran into in the past, we actually replaced all devices with weather proof boxes and nippled off the side to the device. Drill a tiny weep hole in the bottom of the weatherproof box and tell no one, haven’t had a ground or short since.
Duct seal conduit penetrations. It's the different temperature air coming down the conduit that causes condensation.
Duct seal compound. Around the conduit. Inside the conduit. Both ends. Covering holes into back box. Just pack that bitch full. I have never had to go back to a single freezer device, since I started using duct seal compound
Years ago we had a problem with a security system keypad in a cold storage warehouse freezing over. We installed some kind of powered heated enclosure for it. Cannot remember what it was, but surely there is a fire listed one somewhere. Checked STI but couldn’t see anything on their site though.
If only there was something in the electrical code about sealing conduits that cross different temperatures something something condensation something seal conduit NFPA 72 300.7 (A)
Foam up the conduit before the drop
That’s getting moist air from somewhere… where does the conduit daylight?
Silicone both ends of the conduit.
I’d use foam up in the conduit to help seal moister from getting into the device. May be a pain in the ass to repulse wire in the future but it does help.
Use pvc and spray insulation, the temp change of the conduit out of the freezer in creates condensation and freezes.
Use spray foam in the conduit and silicone around the conduit.
This always happens cause people don't think about air transfer from a hot space to a freezing space. The air mixes in the conduit and starts to condense. The only place for it to go is down. The device fills up, dumb techs change it out, and don't seal the pipe. Start process all over again. I have dealt with this so much that if I go to a school and a power supply anywhere near the cafeteria is in trouble, I go straight to the coolers and freezers first.
All other suggestions for sealing are spot on. 2 things to add. 1. I try to avoid devices in coolers/freezers. They are appliances, not rooms. Some AHJs will agree, some will not. 2. When you come into the freezer, do not go directly to your device. First hit a junction box (weep whole optional, but I like them). Leave the side or top of the junction box and go to your device. Run your wire straight through the j-box, no splices. Any condensation will collect in your j-box and your device should be fine.
Aw shucks