Pressure balance and drainage elements

Electronics and electrics in outdoor applications must be weather-proof. Differences in temperature can cause condensation at the inside of housings. This can result in corrosion and short circuits.

Seals are never completely airtight. Even housings that are sealed against water and wind can be penetrated by air, which can, with time, lead to condensation. The cause of this is temperature fluctuations, which result in pressure differences between the housing and the surrounding environment and thus the drawing of water vapour (gas molecules) into the housing. If the housing contains electronics or electrics, a short circuit is to be expected, sooner or later. The use of pressure balance elements provides effective protection against such an occurrence.

AGRO has recently added the pressure balance element with membrane to its product range. The membrane, which is water- and oil-repellent, enables a very high IP protection class to be achieved (IP68/IP69K). Its special structure makes the AGRO pressure balance element air- but not water-permeable, and therefore very suitable, for example, for use in the housings of public lighting or solar panel systems.

A pressure balance element with sinter filter offers high air-permeability, and has long featured in AGRO''s product range. It has proven itself also as a drainage element for small amounts of water, and is used, for example, in voltage and current transformers.

The pressure balance element with mesh and open upper part is also new, and is suitable for drainage, especially for larger quantities of water. It can be used, for example, in railway vehicles.

With these three types, now also with entry thread M12, AGRO offers its customers pressure balance elements for a wide range of applications, especially in the fields of energy generation and distribution, transportation and lighting.