12v transformer outside

Joined
16 Jul 2006
Messages
304
Reaction score
4
Location
Wales
Country
United Kingdom
Hi, looking for some advice please. Planning on fitting a 12v dc 2a infrared floodlight to improve night vision on a cctv camera.

I have bought a ac/dc transformer (24w/2a) like the one pictured, my question is can this transformer be mounted in a waterproof box outside? Operating temp is upto 65c it does have overheat protection, but wondering if it would get too hot in a enclosure box?

Thanks for any advice :)
 

Attachments

  • 41hgev4VsGL._SX342_.jpg
    41hgev4VsGL._SX342_.jpg
    14 KB · Views: 149
Sponsored Links
Just make it a nice big box.

Can you not fit it inside and then run the dc cables outside? Assuming theres somewhere close enough so that volt drop doesn't become a factor.
 
Hi, looking for some advice please. Planning on fitting a 12v dc 2a infrared floodlight to improve night vision on a cctv camera.

I have bought a ac/dc transformer (24w/2a) like the one pictured, my question is can this transformer be mounted in a waterproof box outside? Operating temp is upto 65c it does have overheat protection, but wondering if it would get too hot in a enclosure box?

Thanks for any advice :)
It is not a transformer. It is an LED driver as it says on the box.
 
Sponsored Links
I personally would install it inside, there is a risk water can get inside and you are dealing with mains, take the low voltage out some how instead, but of you have no other alternative, then safeguard against any water that may get in so provide a drain hole at the bottom.
 
I'd agree about installing inside if possible. I've rarely seen any attempt to make non weatherproof things weatherproof really work well.
 
From the input voltage it is clearly a switched mode power supply, the whole idea of the switched mode power supply was to reduce the heat they were developed for the front loading VCR player but clearly they still produce some heat. Mounted in a good conductor box for example aluminium using a little heat sink compound to help transfer the heat should work fine. However although the unit may be Class II the box will not and you will need to earth the box.

Moving to plastic boxes then it's all about size. A foot square box will likely be fine but I am assuming you want a small box. There is really only one way to find out and that is to try it. OK there are formulas to work out heat transfer with electronic components. We had to do it in University and the comment was is there not an easier way, we were told no but there is a harder way, our Russian lecturer explained how he had to work out how long it would take a power supply to over heat and fail, he got some figure like 2 hours, he was told that was OK only took 25 minutes for rocket to reach USA. As to if true or not I don't know, but point is even if we knew what components were in the unit the calculations are very complex. So metal is in real terms the only way. Easy way is get an outdoor model.
 
Hi, thank you all for the replies! Much appreciated, Thanks button to you all :)

Ok, As I can't install it inside suitably without running big lengths of cable everywhere, and I don't really want a massive enclosure box on wall outside (plus they are quite expensive for a good quality one).

So really its a no brainer.... To purchase the outdoor led driver as taylortwocities mentioned, makes sense!!

Thanks again (y)
 
They don't seem to know what IP67 means though, but I doubt if you'll be immersing it in water so IP66 will probably be fine.
 
They don't seem to know what IP67 means though, but I doubt if you'll be immersing it in water so IP66 will probably be fine.

Hi mate, cheers, no I don't intend to immerse it hehe

Should be ok! Will have some protection from the soffit, a bit of silicone grease for cable entrys wont harm :)
 
Have a look at this Eurobox site which also explains how IP ratings are set, (IP) itself stands for intrusion of anything,
http://www.euroboxenclosures.co.uk/IP-Ratings-Explained.html

But like I said, water can run into even the tightest sealed box through cable entries, and other places like lamps and Indicators and so on, you are going to have two entries, one for incoming mains and one low voltage out, water could get inside through these if they are not carefully chosen and sealed tightly with appropriate grommets or cable entry glands. Hence why I said drill a small 2 to 3 mm hole at the bottom most surface to drain any water that may enter, but this then destroys its IP67 rating as that means the drain hole itself will render its IP rating due to water may get in if submerged even for a short duration.

But yours is going to be mounted higher up and under a soffit, so it may not even get hit by direct rain, so long as it is air tight, all cables and glands water tight, you may not even need this drain hole.

I had a CCTV camera that was not water proof, so I housed it in a normal ABS box with no cover seal,and had a glass window aperture glued in with silicone,which made it air tight, and before i screwed the lid down I laid a bead of silicone as well, that stopped any water penetration, but after a year in use, water still manged to get inside, possibly through decaying seals or the cable entry point and the camera and the front glass plate had steamed up, couldn't see much more than bright light, took it apart and it was just the moisture inside, so i made a small hole at the bottom which helped drain any water that can enter and vent moisture.
 
Thanks for the replies mikefromlondon & gerrydelasel. I'm now discouraged in installing it inside a enclosure box, mainly because of the heat and size of box required, not so much of the water ingress ... so will buying the proper outdoor led driver instead!

Not really had a problem with the enclosure boxes myself, I have 2 x 100mm ones outside now, serving electric to my garage, been installed for about 5 years never tripped once, only recently the silicone I gunned behind and around box is starting to looka bit tired!

cheers
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top