Hubbell is proud to introduce its new Stainless Steel While in Use Receptacle Cover. It’s an all-metal cover that fully protects receptacles, and, as the name suggests, that means fully protecting not just when the receptacle is empty, but also while equipment is plugged in in use.
The cover is UL Type 3R Listed, so it is both rain-tight and sleet/ice resistant and is rated for outdoor wet location applications, with a closed cell foam gasket that creates a secure, robust, and weatherproof seal. Further, the cover closes around the plug and even allows the wire to drop naturally down straight and unbent from the enclosure so it is not under any pressure that can damage it. The cover also locks securely with or without a plug in use to deflect any potentially prying hands.
As the name suggests, the cover is constructed of heavy-duty 316 stainless steel, not plastic, so it will withstand high pressure hoses or corrosive chemicals without any of the pitting that can lead to wear or “nooks and crannies” that can create harbors for particles and contamination. Indeed, its' smooth, rounded edges leave no place for debris to get trapped at all. Plus the polished finish ensures that these covers always stay gleaming and sparkling, always visually representing the hygienic nature of the facility to employees and visitors alike.
This is an example of a product Hubbell created as a direct result of a request from a customer. A big pharmaceutical company was facing challenges with their incumbent plug covers. Like many in the industry, they take hygienic operations very seriously and are very adamant about performing regular, robust washdowns. Unfortunately, however, the pressure, temperature and corrosiveness of their washes was wreaking havoc on their plastic covers, and they had to be replaced frequently. Could Hubbell, they asked us, come up with a better solution? Well, we can, and we did. And they love them.
As I said, Hubbell is calling it—quite descriptively—the Stainless Steel While in Use Receptacle Cover, but Hubbell customers are calling it a godsend. That’s what we’re hearing from users at pharmaceutical plants, food and beverage operations, water and wastewater treatment facilities, chemical plants and refineries, pulp and paper mills, marine and coastal facilities, outdoor facilities, and many other locations where customers are dealing with covers, plugs and connections that can get damaged by exposure to water and/or corrosive chemicals.
While this product is new and recently launched in May 2022, word is traveling quickly and plants in industries of all kinds are already requesting more information and demonstrations. While we worked to help one customer, we’re finding that this new product is meeting a very widespread, pent-up need across the industry — anywhere there is electricity adjacent to water and/or corrosive chemicals.
When our team went to the drawing board with this product, our customer noted the need to protect many different types of receptacles, in many shapes and sizes, preferably with one SKU. And that was part of Hubbell’s development process. Indeed, the Stainless Steel While in Use Receptacle Cover is cleverly designed with punch-outs and adapter plates that make it immediately applicable to standard duplex receptacles, GFCIs, switches, single 15- and 20-amp devices, Twist-Lock® and other receptacles—really most anything you have in your industrial facility. Any shape or size, Hubbell’s new Stainless Steel While in Use Receptacle Cover will protect it for you—while looking shiny, clean, and new for the long-term.
Contact your Hubbell distributor or local representative about Stainless Steel While in Use Receptacle Covers and optimize hygienic operations and receptacle integrity in your facility. Like our customers have been telling us, it just might be a solution you’ve been waiting on for a long time.