How to Choose the Right Electrical Enclosure for a Warning Siren?

How to Choose the Right Electrical Enclosure for a Warning Siren?

Developing a warning and notification project can be a daunting task. It is necessary to focus on a number of details: from selecting the right warning device and its acoustic range, through a means of communications, to a type of device control. Along with this decision-making, it is important to take into consideration the IP rating for a specific siren box. Knowing how to protect the warning device from exposure to both solid particles and liquids, it is also crucial to understand what types of weather conditions the device needs to endure.

What is the IP Rating?

The IP code stands for Ingress Protection; sometimes it is also interpreted as the International Protection Marking according to the European EN 60529 standard. Also, it is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The IP is used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies such as water and dirt. The two digits in each IP code refer separately to the level of protection that the enclosure provides against solid particles and liquids. The larger the digits, the higher the protection.

As explained above, the higher digits mean stronger or even full resistance, and the lower digits indicate little or no resistance. The range of values for water resistance is slightly wider than for solid objects.

IP Rating of a Siren Box

It is vital to consider the proper placement of a siren so that the fragile parts inside its box such as modules, amplifiers, batteries, and radio transceivers are adequately protected. The technology inside needs to be insulated from outside influences; for example, steam, mist, sprayed water, rain, sand, oil or even body parts, just to name a few. To determine what kind of protection a warning system needs is simple. The Telegrafia company offers 3 IP ratings: IP44, IP54, and IP66. For a brief overview, these are defined as follows:

The IP44 plastic/fibre-glass siren box is a standard part of the GIBON siren delivery. A higher IP rating for this siren is provided for an extra charge. The box can be placed in both the interior and exterior, and it offers protection against contact with live or moving parts inside the enclosure by tools, wires, or objects thicker than 1 mm. Nevertheless, we recommend using a siren box with this type of rating in the interior only or placing it under a shelter/roof.

The IP54 stainless steel siren box is a standard part of the PAVIAN siren delivery. It can be installed in both the interior and exterior, and it offers protection against harmful deposits of dust. The box is lockable, and thus it also provides protection against accidental or intentional intrusion. This siren enclosure is suitable for normal weather conditions and temperatures ranging from -25 °C to +65°C.

The IP66 stainless steel siren box is offered on a customer’s request. Its electrical enclosure provides the highest protection against heavy rains or powerful jets of water. The box is lockable, and thus it also provides protection against accidental or intentional intrusion. This siren box is suitable for extreme weather conditions and temperatures ranging from -35 °C to +65 °C.

Horn Protection

Beware that the protection of a siren box is not the only aspect to consider. Another essential parameter is the protection of siren horns, i.e. prevention of their damage caused by the environment due to the occurrence of insects, birds and sandstorms. In such cases, it is recommended to use a net for horn protection.

Siserova-Monika

The article was written by

Monika Siserova

Monika is an international business manager for Balkan, Benelux and Scandinavian states. She worked with a diverse range of organisations, including government institutions, IGOs in the field of migration, private sector and non-profits. The mentioned experience laid a sound foundation for a challenging and meaningful job she has in the Telegrafia Company. Therefore, she is very excited about bringing you the latest news from the field of early warning and notification systems.

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