[TowerTalk] Condensation Inside Tower Cable Box

[Jim W7RY]

Agreed with heating the box...

Shove a rag (a long one to provide lots of area to keep the moisture 
out)  into the conduit that comes from the underground.

Ventilate the box on the bottom with a screened opening at least an inch 
in diameter. (Larger would be better).

73, Jim W7RY


On 10/16/2023 2:51 PM, Lux, Jim wrote:
> On 10/16/23 11:56 AM, Shawn Donley wrote:
>> Hello fellow TowerTalkers,
>>   I have an aluminum outdoor electrical enclosure at the base of my 
>> tower.  My underground runs of hardline enter the box through a PVC 
>> conduit elbow entering at the bottom of the enclosure. The tower coax 
>> and rotor cables exit the bottom as well.    In humid weather, 
>> especially this time of year when the temperature goes down at night, 
>> I get a significant amount of condensation inside the enclosure, not 
>> only on the enclosure but on the outside of the cables within it.  
>> Enough water to make one think there's no environmental protection 
>> provided by the enclosure in the first place.  I suspect the moist 
>> air from the conduit is the source since the underground run uses 
>> slotted corrugated drain pipe covered with a soil sock rather than 
>> solid wall PVC.   Why ... concerns of long term condensation inside 
>> solid conduit...another subject thoroughly discussed elsewhere and 
>> hopefully not again on this thread.
>>   Has anyone experienced something similar and has a proven fix?   I 
>> considered a small 12v box fan to circulate some outside air through 
>> the enclosure but I think the cold box walls would just condense that 
>> moist air as well.  Perhaps a low wattage 12v light bulb inside the 
>> enclosure to provide some heat to keep the walls warmer?  Some water 
>> pipe heat tape on the outside of the box (but I would like to avoid 
>> any 125vac solution)?  Sealing the entry conduit is problematic with 
>> the several cables of different diameters.  I would not want to 
>> "foam" the conduit with expanding foam or something like that which 
>> would make pulling a new cable much more difficult.
>>   tnx
>> N3AE
>
> I'd think it's the usual problem of cooling in the evening, pulling in 
> humid air from outside, which then condenses. It might be from the 
> conduit, but probably more likely the air around the box.   The only 
> solution is to provide a source of dry air. Heating the box *might* help.
>
>
>
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-- 
Thanks and 73, Jim W7RY