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Literature > White Papers > Enclosure Cooler Location Ratings

Enclosure Cooler Location ratings

NEMA

NEMA stands for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and they are the organization that decided to categorize cases and enclosures for electrical equipment to allow a purchaser to know exactly what the contents will be protected against. The NEMA ratings are primarily for use in the USA, although they will give any buyer a good idea of what to expect.

NEMA ratings are given to electrical enclosures and containers, depending on what they are resistant to, or insulated from.
  • NEMA 4 is watertight. Testing for this means the enclosure must exclude at least 65 GPM (gallons per minute) of water from a 1-inch nozzle, delivered from a distance of no less than 10 feet, for 5 minutes. Unsurprisingly, it is generally used for outdoor areas near water.
  • NEMA 4X builds on the NEMA 4 rating, adding extra corrosion protection. NEMA 4X enclosures are both watertight and corrosion-resistant.
  • NEMA 12 rated enclosures protect against dust, dirt, and dripping noncorrosive liquids.

HAZLOC

Hazardous Location Temperature Classifications
T3 = maximum temperature of 392 deg F / 200 deg C
T4 =  maximum temperature of 275 deg F / 135 deg C

ATEX

The ATEX Directive is EU legislation regarding the safety of equipment in explosive environments, and is actually based on two EU directives, one for the manufacturer, and one for the end user. The directives demand that an employer designate relevant areas of their workplace into Zones depending on what environmental hazard or explosive source is present.
  • Zone 0 is for an area in which an explosive mixture of gases is present all or most of the time. In North American classifications, this is Class 1, Division 1.
  • Zone 1 is a region where an explosive mixture of gases is likely to be present during normal operations. This also falls under Class 1 Division 1 in North America.
  • Zone 2 ratings are given to areas which can gather an explosive mix of gases during normal operations, but one that will only persist for a short length of time. In the US, this classification is Class 1, Division 2.
  • Zones 0-2 are for gaseous or vaporous explosive materials.
  • Zones 20, 21, and 22 are the same as the above, only for dust instead of gases.
  • Zone 20 is for an area in which an explosive mixture of dusts is present all or most of the time. In North American classifications, this is Class 2, Division 1.
  • Zone 21 is a region where an explosive mixture of dusts is likely to be present during normal operations. This also falls under Class 2 Division 1 in North America.
  • Zone 22 ratings are given to areas which can gather an explosive mix of dusts during normal operations, but one that will only persist for a short length of time. In the US, this classification is Class 2, Division 2.
ATEX Temperature Classifications
T3 = maximum temperature of 392 deg F / 200 deg C
T4 =  maximum temperature of 275 deg F / 135 deg C
Literature > White Papers > Enclosure Cooler Location Ratings

Enclosure Cooler Location ratings

NEMA

NEMA stands for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and they are the organization that decided to categorize cases and enclosures for electrical equipment to allow a purchaser to know exactly what the contents will be protected against. The NEMA ratings are primarily for use in the USA, although they will give any buyer a good idea of what to expect.

NEMA ratings are given to electrical enclosures and containers, depending on what they are resistant to, or insulated from.
  • NEMA 4 is watertight. Testing for this means the enclosure must exclude at least 65 GPM (gallons per minute) of water from a 1-inch nozzle, delivered from a distance of no less than 10 feet, for 5 minutes. Unsurprisingly, it is generally used for outdoor areas near water.
  • NEMA 4X builds on the NEMA 4 rating, adding extra corrosion protection. NEMA 4X enclosures are both watertight and corrosion-resistant.
  • NEMA 12 rated enclosures protect against dust, dirt, and dripping noncorrosive liquids.

HAZLOC

Hazardous Location Temperature Classifications
T3 = maximum temperature of 392 deg F / 200 deg C
T4 =  maximum temperature of 275 deg F / 135 deg C

ATEX

The ATEX Directive is EU legislation regarding the safety of equipment in explosive environments, and is actually based on two EU directives, one for the manufacturer, and one for the end user. The directives demand that an employer designate relevant areas of their workplace into Zones depending on what environmental hazard or explosive source is present.
  • Zone 0 is for an area in which an explosive mixture of gases is present all or most of the time. In North American classifications, this is Class 1, Division 1.
  • Zone 1 is a region where an explosive mixture of gases is likely to be present during normal operations. This also falls under Class 1 Division 1 in North America.
  • Zone 2 ratings are given to areas which can gather an explosive mix of gases during normal operations, but one that will only persist for a short length of time. In the US, this classification is Class 1, Division 2.
  • Zones 0-2 are for gaseous or vaporous explosive materials.
  • Zones 20, 21, and 22 are the same as the above, only for dust instead of gases.
  • Zone 20 is for an area in which an explosive mixture of dusts is present all or most of the time. In North American classifications, this is Class 2, Division 1.
  • Zone 21 is a region where an explosive mixture of dusts is likely to be present during normal operations. This also falls under Class 2 Division 1 in North America.
  • Zone 22 ratings are given to areas which can gather an explosive mix of dusts during normal operations, but one that will only persist for a short length of time. In the US, this classification is Class 2, Division 2.
ATEX Temperature Classifications
T3 = maximum temperature of 392 deg F / 200 deg C
T4 =  maximum temperature of 275 deg F / 135 deg C