How to ideally seal a cable hole in a 5" PVC camera mounting box?

[Starglow]

In a nutshell, because many so-called "waterproof" claims of connectors, cameras and junction boxes are bullshit and sealants in themselves are not necessarily the ultimate solution.

IDK....I have six outside pole mounted cameras that are directly exposed to the elements 24/7 and no issues so far after several years. I used sealing gaskets and some caulk where appropriate but that's it.

 

[looney2ns]

I totally agree but the OP said "... am aware of HVAC putty compounds but in my experience they tend to dry out and lift from the hole or surface", so I didn't mention it.

I've found if if start with a plug of duct seal that I've rolled to make a cylinder, push 1/2 thru the hole then flatten both sides a bit (not SUPER flat), it seals pretty darn good. I'm a a big fan of duct seal, especially for keeping dirt daubers out.

I agree, I've had duct seal in outdoor junction box's for 10yrs, that the duct seal is still fine and doing it's job.

 

[TonyR]

IDK....I have six outside pole mounted cameras that are directly exposed to the elements 24/7 and no issues so far after several years. I used sealing gaskets and some caulk where appropriate but that's it.

But then it's possible and very likely that you have the knack or have some know-how....trust me, there are many out there that have neither and couldn't pour pee out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel...hence, bad installs.

 

[DahuaIPCamUser]

On a FB group for electric issues, I recently saw a thread where many electricians suggest making a drain hole in the box if one isn't present. If the box is tightly sealed, external water won't get in but some expressed a concern about condensation building up over time inside the box.

I had been arguing that point with myself, this time around. A couple of years ago I added 3 outdoor receptacles + one security light to my house (with wiring routed into the boxes via PVC pipe, which is beside the point). For the junction boxes I recall drilling a tiny 1/16" or 1/8" hole in the bottom for potential water drainage. But I had also sealed the top side of the security light + junction box with outdoor, clear caulk.

For the PVC box which I've shown at the start of my thread, I decided not to drill a hole this time around. First, the box is under the eaves and hence should be (mostly) protected from severe rain or water. The PVC pipe entering the box should also moderate the temperature and humidity + pressure within the box itself. And then the obvious argument is whether I want any tiny bugs to get into the box itself, which I do not.

 

[DahuaIPCamUser]

The OP is a noob and it's his first post. We can offer our best suggestions and IMO, those are the ones based on personal experiences and those that are as close as possible to satisfying the preferences of the member. In some cases, if not many, the member sees things differently after being made aware of options, methods and techniques not previously known to them and changes his/her thinking.

First. I wanted to thank everyone for their good suggestions and input. That got me thinking about the "hole in the box" problem. I'm a hardcore engineer and hence I am over-analyzing this situation I've been putting a lot of mental effort into the outdoor setup so that I don't have to return to it anytime soon for repairs or water infiltration.

Second, the problem is that I am not using a dome camera with a sealed base but rather some EmpireTech T5442T-ZE and TM-AS-S3 models which have an open base. That leaves the large hole in the box open to the outside unless I come up with a way to adequately seal it.

Third, I have 5+ boxes to play with and hence I can try using (1) duct seal, (2) caulking and (3) Alaska Country's interesting suggestion of the "NM/SE clamp connector" + 1/4 inch ID vinyl tubing (that is something I should have thought of myself!). I think all 3 suggestions are equally good. I have yet to mount the cameras but was awaiting all of this feedback before pulling the trigger.

However, I was concerned that the duct seal might fail in the harsh outdoor environment, as two cameras will be south and south-west facing and hence can experience -30C to +30C temp swings throughout the year.

 

[DahuaIPCamUser]

For the reference of others, here's an interesting post about using duct seal, foam and silicon caulk with inside/outside wiring and conduit:

What material to use for sealing inside of outdoor conduit to block moisture/insects?

 

[TonyR]

For the reference of others, here's an interesting post about using duct seal, foam and silicon caulk with inside/outside wiring and conduit:

What material to use for sealing inside of outdoor conduit to block moisture/insects?

BTW, that post you linked references something I also did in a link at the bottom of my post #6 above, which is using a non-gassing silicone sealant in specific areas of the camera, particularly when caulking the camera's pigtail entrance into the camera.

 

[Starglow]

First. I wanted to thank everyone for their good suggestions and input. That got me thinking about the "hole in the box" problem. I'm a hardcore engineer and hence I am over-analyzing this situation I've been putting a lot of mental effort into the outdoor setup so that I don't have to return to it anytime soon for repairs or water infiltration.

Second, the problem is that I am not using a dome camera with a sealed base but rather some EmpireTech T5442T-ZE and TM-AS-S3 models which have an open base. That leaves the large hole in the box open to the outside unless I come up with a way to adequately seal it.

Third, I have 5+ boxes to play with and hence I can try using (1) duct seal, (2) caulking and (3) Alaska Country's interesting suggestion of the "NM/SE clamp connector" + 1/4 inch ID vinyl tubing (that is something I should have thought of myself!). I think all 3 suggestions are equally good. I have yet to mount the cameras but was awaiting all of this feedback before pulling the trigger.

However, I was concerned that the duct seal might fail in the harsh outdoor environment, as two cameras will be south and south-west facing and hence can experience -30C to +30C temp swings throughout the year.

Most engineers are guilty of doing that..... .

 

[DahuaIPCamUser]

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Garmin Cable grommet

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T13DBS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&tag=ipctk-20

 

[dan2112]

I do it a little different and it was inspired from somebody here:


I drill through the mounting bracket and insert one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083K57N4N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

You can pass a ethernet cable through it and then terminate the cable. They cinch up tightly on the cable.
I also use the included weatherproof ethernet connector sprayed with CorrotionX and then wrap it with self sealing rubber tape.
I have never had an issue with a connection. Had a camera go on the fritz but never the connection.

 

[Starglow]

I do it a little different and it was inspired from somebody here:
View attachment 179047

I drill through the mounting bracket and insert one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083K57N4N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

You can pass a ethernet cable through it and then terminate the cable. They cinch up tightly on the cable.
I also use the included weatherproof ethernet connector sprayed with CorrotionX and then wrap it with self sealing rubber tape.
I have never had an issue with a connection. Had a camera go on the fritz but never the connection.

I did mine the same way except I went through the left side rear instead of underneath. I also used gray flex conduit so the wire is not exposed at all.

 

[mrvelous01]

How long do you realistically think you will have that camera for? Newer models with neater features are coming out rather frequently ... how many years until your cam is EOL and no more software updates? I would think a properly sealed box will outlast the camera.

 

[wittaj]

How long do you realistically think you will have that camera for? Newer models with neater features are coming out rather frequently ... how many years until your cam is EOL and no more software updates? I would think a properly sealed box will outlast the camera.

Most of us don't update camera firmware and new models don't come out very frequently as of late, at least not enough that many of us don't have the urge to replace. We may supplement adding a new camera that comes out to our existing system, but the last few new models I got didn't replace an existing cam. YMMV

 

[biggen]

Seems like this problem is overthought. I don’t know why one wouldnt either just fill the hole with caulk or fill the thin gap that exists where the camera mounts on the box with caulk all the way around the edge of the camera. Its super easy to remove either in the future with a knife.

 

[DahuaIPCamUser]

I wanted to provide a short tutorial on what I ended up doing to "fill the hole" in the 5" utility box.

For the longest of time I searched for the "ideal rubber grommet" which would accept the 1/4" IP camera cable, fill the 3/4" hole and fit over the 1/8" box. I narrowed it down to an excellent selection on this McMaster-Carr page:

McMaster-Carr

However, ordering the grommets and shipping them to Canada may have been another story + an untold cost. I also wanted to get this project done before the winter cold really set in.

Due to our local Lowe's being turned into a RONA+, I quite accidentally bumped into a much easier, cheaper, simpler and almost ideal solution. In the end I think this turned out just fine for what I really needed.

In simple terms, I used two 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 1/16" rubber washers (about $2). I slit them with a razor blade. I then set them in place via some very small, sharp screws + some tiny washers between the screws and the rubber. I drilled 1/16" holes through the two layers of rubber + the 1/8" PVC box, all while holding everything carefully in place. It was a bit tricky to do it neatly but I got better on the 2nd and 3rd box.

Thus, I now have the 3/4" hole "covered up enough" to do the job. It is probably 98% as good as the tightest fitting grommet that I would otherwise have found.