+- Woodnet Forums (https://www.forums.woodnet.net)
+-- Thread: outdoor electrical outlet box (/showthread.php?tid=7193344)
outdoor electrical outlet box - Bope - 01-14-2016
I have an electric outlet on the side of the barn used to plug in a heater to keep the horses water from freezing. The original one had a big plastic cover that the wasps loved to make nests in in the summer. In the winter you could plug in the heater then mostly close the cover to keep the weather out. So now the plastic hinge in broken so the cover falls off and water can get to the outlet. I am assuming this is why the GFCI tripped the other day. Does anyone know of a good outlet cover that can keep the water out when something is plugged in? If it can also keep the wasps out in the summer all the better but that might be a losing battle. The wife spraying a live electrical outlet with wasp spray scared me a bit.
Re: outdoor electrical outlet box - atgcpaul - 01-14-2016
I don't remember paying this much for this, but this is what I replaced my metal outdoor outlet covers with. My outlets are horizontal. I have a landscape transformer plugged in full time with the lid full closed. I think wasps will get in past where the cord enters the cover, but I don't think there's much you can do about that except fill that gap with a piece of foam. It keeps the outlet dry, though.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-Gang-Horizo...420CB/204125398
Re: outdoor electrical outlet box - John Mihich - 01-14-2016
IMO those covered boxes stink. They really don't close well when a good size wire is plugged into them. In your case I would consider making your own box to cover it.
Re: outdoor electrical outlet box - Foggy - 01-14-2016
I have covers that have sort of an accordion so they expand to allow a plug and still be WP. About $8 at Home depot. I chose them because they are the least ugly of the WP covers that meet code.