Does your control panel HAVE to be metal?

[micahwitham]

This may sound like a really stupid question to those who paid attention in physics class...but here goes anyway.
I found these water proof enclosures at the AxMan (for those who don't live in the twin cities, this place is awesome!) for 19.99 that appear to be used for electrical purposes.
In all of my reading on this site about EHerms set ups, I've never seen a panel that's not metal. These are some sort of poly carbonate/hard plastic material.

If my logic is correct, grounding something is essentially making sure that all metal parts that "could" be energized by a stray wire or something, find their way back to the ground wire in your home connected to your main breaker panel.

So, if there is a lug inside of my panel, and I connect all the power going to my kettles and switches to this lug, which is then connected to the ground wire in my power coming into the panel, then in theory all of the potential metal elements are connected to main ground in my home.

Yes...
or you're an idiot but I'm going to be gentle and tell you why you're not correct.
Thanks in advance.

BTW - my build is coming along and packages are arriving at the house daily.
Still looking to get rid of my Brutus10/propane build in the for sale forum.

 

[Nic0]

I'm no electrical enginer, electrician, or otherwise electrical expert, but I don't think the box has to be metal.

I think it's more important that if the box IS metal, or even if it's a non-conductive material yet there is an electrical path exposed to the outside where somebody could touch it (for example, a metal handle that has bolts that go inside a plastic box, and the nuts on the inside of the plastic box that also contains wiring), then the box should be properly grounded. This way if a hot wire inside does short to the metal box, there is a path to ground.

I would get a few more opinions, though.

 

[big_len]

If the case itself isn't metal then anything metal that can be touched from the outside by the user must be individually earthed.

I have a plastic enclosure and both the xlr socket for my temperature probe and the metal fan gaurd on the back needed an earth wire connected to them - all my earths go to a common rail as you also mentioned too.

The earth wire is the single most important wire on your panel and whole rig so give it plenty of consideration and don't use anything less than a 100% firm connection.

 

[augiedoggy]

My box it plastic...found it with the electrical boxes at home depot.

 

[processhead]

My enclosure is fiberglass.
Electrical panels do not need to be metal.
Grounding components correctly is still important.
With a non-metallic enclosure, you just need a separate dedicated ground buss.

 

[sennister]

Hey neighbor...

As mentioned, plastic is fine. Just make sure you run a ground to the panel and components.

 

[Alfalfa_Male]

I found these water proof enclosures at the AxMan (for those who don't live in the twin cities, this place is awesome!) for 19.99 that appear to be used for electrical purposes.

May I ask which AxMan location you found it at?
Please tell me it was the Fridley site and they had lots more.
-mark-

 

[micahwitham]

It was St. Paul and they did have a bunch more. It looked like something that they got a bunch of so I wouldn't be shocked if they had some at fridley.

 

[Alfalfa_Male]

It was St. Paul and they did have a bunch more. It looked like something that they got a bunch of so I wouldn't be shocked if they had some at fridley.

Thanks. Maybe I'll just make the trip to St. Paul.
Good excuse to stop at the Turf Club for a beer or two.
-mark-

 

[LordUlrich]

Would you be able to post a picture? I happen to be going to the cities next week and am wondering if it is worth trying to stop by.

 

[augiedoggy]

Mine from home depot was waterproof too till I drilled for the fan.

 

[Mirilis]

Plastic is fine as i would imagine as long as all your SSR's and the inside is well cooled... i can see where it may be possible for a SSR to get hot enough to deform the plastic. But then again i have to brew out of converted coolers till i can buy my electrical comps

 

[micahwitham]

the enclosure isn't quite the full 16x16x8 that Kal uses but it's pretty close at 14x16x7 I think.
With a hole saw and a drill I'm making quick work of this fiberglass without a drill press which is pretty sweet!
For 20 bucks THE PRICE IS RIGHT in my opinion.

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

I used this one before upgrading:

http://www.l-com.com/nema-enclosure...eight-enclosure-with-universal-mounting-plate

Easy to machine, comes with a back-plane. I recommend.

 

[soonerpike1748]

Hey neighbor...

As mentioned, plastic is fine. Just make sure you run a ground to the panel and components.

To be clear... does this mean SSRs, relays, and receptacles need grounded. Or does this mean that lights, pump switches, and the PID needed grounded as well?

 

[augiedoggy]

To be clear... does this mean SSRs, relays, and receptacles need grounded. Or does this mean that lights, pump switches, and the PID needed grounded as well?

everything thats made of metal that you touch while on should be grounded as well as any components that require a ground to function.... thats the way my setup is anyway.... no grounds to the heatsinks which would be the only possible thing I might add if I wanted the breaker to trip in case of a meltdown.

 

[soonerpike1748]

The only thing metal sticking out of my enclosure that is not grounded is my heat sink. I'll just back out one of the screws holding it in place and add a ground. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[kal]

I prefer metal for its strength (must be completely grounded as others have mentioned) but properly rated plastic is fine too. It's harder to find larger plastic enclosures however.

Kal

 

[kzimmer0817]

I used this one before upgrading:

http://www.l-com.com/nema-enclosure...eight-enclosure-with-universal-mounting-plate

Easy to machine, comes with a back-plane. I recommend.

That looks good. I like the perforated back plate so that you don't have to drill holes for the components. But . . . I note that the back plate is plastic, so components would have to be individually grounded.

If one installs DIN rails on this plastic back plate, does it suffice to connect each DIN rail to a grounding post?

BTW, does this 6" deep panel allow sufficient space to allow switches on the panel to clear DIN-mounted contactors and connectors?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[jeffmeh]

I there really a need to ground each individual component in a plastic box? Obviously, one would ground the electrical outlets, but what about contactors that are fully contained by the box? What about switches, lights, PIDs, and timers that may not even have grounding contacts, on the face of the box? What about a protruding heat sink?

I hadn't really thought about this before, and I'm curious. Thanks.

 

[augiedoggy]

I there really a need to ground each individual component in a plastic box? Obviously, one would ground the electrical outlets, but what about contactors that are fully contained by the box? What about switches, lights, PIDs, and timers that may not even have grounding contacts, on the face of the box? What about a protruding heat sink?

I hadn't really thought about this before, and I'm curious. Thanks.

As already posted "everything thats made of metal that you touch while on should be grounded as well as any components that require a ground to function.... thats the way my setup is anyway.... no grounds to the heatsinks which would be the only possible thing I might add if I wanted the breaker to trip in case of a meltdown."

You can read the other above responses already posted for your answer but no unless your going to touch the component or it has a designed ground point you do not need to ground it... many relays and switches are made of plastic anyway? if your using a metal encloseure then YES it needs to be grounded.... its technically best to ground metal switch mechanisms like found in the small metal hardware switches since they can fail and develop a short to the metal swich part you come in contact with. I just disassembled a faulty one to find the metal contact piece flopping around loosely inside.