Outdoor junction box

When installing an electrical system outside, it is important to use the right installation material. Think of an outdoor junction box. In the open air, there is a greater chance that moisture will enter the system. This can cause a short circuit and you run the risk that part of the system will become unusable. It is a waste of your time and money if you have to replace the electrical system outside all the time. Of course, you want to prevent this. Are you planning to install electricity outside? Read all about installing outdoor electricity in the article: Installing outdoor electricity.

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What is a junction box?

A junction box is a part of an electrical installation in which the connections of installation wire are accommodated. Nowadays, they are made of plastic instead of iron. This is done for safety reasons, but also because of the cost aspect. Junction boxes are round or square. They have inlet openings for connecting installation pipes and are closed by means of a lid. ​

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There are two special types of junction boxes:

• Central box: This is located in a central place in the ceiling. It often contains many wires and welds. That is why it is deeper than a regular junction box.

• Waterproof junction box: This is also called a cable box. There are different versions of the way in which cables are connected waterproof.

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Outdoor junction box

For an outdoor electrical installation, it is best to use a waterproof junction box. This prevents moisture from reaching the connections. If this does happen, a short circuit can occur and the installation will become unusable. To find out to what extent the outdoor junction box is protected against water, you can look at the IP code. This is a designation that consists of the letters "IP" followed by two numbers, for example IP65. The number that is important in this article is the second number in this code, this number indicates the degree of protection against moisture. An outdoor junction box must therefore have a higher degree of protection than one that you are going to use indoors. There are many different IP values, each with their own characteristics. In the image below you can read which number indicates which degree of protection against moisture.

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