Passing wires through container

[Biglurr54]

I am getting ready to build some containers for transporting coral to shows. My plan is to have a heater and circ pump in each container and run them off a power inverter. I know i can just pump the heat up in the truck and make due but i have everything to make it work so I might as well do it right. I also want to have warm water ready to set up the tank when I get to the show. Not truck temp water.

Has anyone figured out how to pass a wire through a container so it wont leak? I have water proof containers, but cant figure out the wire issue with out the water splashing out of where the wires pass through. Worst case would be through the top and use one of those compression fittings that hold probes in CA reactors. I have a few kicking around. But I would like to keep the top functional.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I am getting ready to build some containers for transporting coral to shows. My plan is to have a heater and circ pump in each container and run them off a power inverter. I know i can just pump the heat up in the truck and make due but i have everything to make it work so I might as well do it right. I also want to have warm water ready to set up the tank when I get to the show. Not truck temp water.

Has anyone figured out how to pass a wire through a container so it wont leak? I have water proof containers, but cant figure out the wire issue with out the water splashing out of where the wires pass through. Worst case would be through the top and use one of those compression fittings that hold probes in CA reactors. I have a few kicking around. But I would like to keep the top functional.

you can seal the area where the wire goes through or have some rubber around it

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

If it will be a dedicated container, why not pass the lines through near the top, above the water line, use the grommet and silicone if needed?

 

[Biglurr54]

If it will be a dedicated container, why not pass the lines through near the top, above the water line, use the grommet and silicone if needed?

That's what I was thinking but i waned to see if there are any other options out there. Do you have any recommendation on grommets?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

That's what I was thinking but i waned to see if there are any other options out there. Do you have any recommendation on grommets?

So I was thinking about that in my previous post but that takes a little bit of question. If you are comfortable cutting, soldering the lines back together and reap waterproofing with shrink wrap, You wouldn't even need a grommet. If you need to pass either the plug end or physical heater through the hole, It's going to need a much larger hole.

Personally I would opt to mount the heater inside, cut the line going to the controller, And only drill a large enough hole in the container to pass the wire through.

 

[Woodyman]

So I was thinking about that in my previous post but that takes a little bit of question. If you are comfortable cutting, soldering the lines back together and reap waterproofing with shrink wrap, You wouldn't even need a grommet. If you need to pass either the plug end or physical heater through the hole, It's going to need a much larger hole.

Personally I would opt to mount the heater inside, cut the line going to the controller, And only drill a large enough hole in the container to pass the wire through.

Another option is to drill out a hole big enough for the wire just below where the lid is, but that overlaps the lip of the container. This way you can take the lid off, place the heater inside and just pass the cord through the upper most portion of the container.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Another option is to drill out a hole big enough for the wire just below where the lid is, but that overlaps the lip of the container. This way you can take the lid off, place the heater inside and just pass the cord through the upper most portion of the container.

That's a better option, agreed.

 

[Biglurr54]

If it will be a dedicated container, why not pass the lines through near the top, above the water line, use the grommet and silicone if needed?

That's what I was thinking but i waned to see if there are any other options out there. Do you have any recomendation on grom

So I was thinking about that in my previous post but that takes a little bit of question. If you are comfortable cutting, soldering the lines back together and reap waterproofing with shrink wrap, You wouldn't even need a grommet. If you need to pass either the plug end or physical heater through the hole, It's going to need a much larger hole.

Personally I would opt to mount the heater inside, cut the line going to the controller, And only drill a large enough hole in the container to pass the wire through.

Im comfortable with that. I put a heater in a canister filter that way. Small hole just big enough for the wire, then cut soldered and heat shrunk the heater wire. I then epoxied everything up. It worked great and never leaked. The canister walls are thicker than the tote I'm using so I'm worried the flexing of the tote will not work with epoxy. But it will work with silicone.

 

[Woodyman]

That's a better option, agreed.

 

[Woodyman]

That's what I was thinking but i waned to see if there are any other options out there. Do you have any recomendation on grom

Im comfortable with that. I put a heater in a canister filter that way. Small hole just big enough for the wire, then cut soldered and heat shrunk the heater wire. I then epoxied everything up. It worked great and never leaked. The canister walls are thicker than the tote I'm using so I'm worried the flexing of the tote will not work with epoxy. But it will work with silicone.

If your comfortable cutting I'd go that route, as long as you don't have plans to remove it.

If you want to be able to remove I'd go a different route or make the hole large enough to pass the plug through.

 

[Red_Beard]

Use a cable gland. They are designed specifically for this application. You may have to get a larger one to accomodate the plug end, unless you cut it off and re wire it, then you can use a smaller one.

 

[Sean Clark]

I use these "bait stations" for coral and fish. Just a thought.
Frabill Magnum Bait Station

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Another option is to drill a hole in the top big enough to feed the heater and pump plug through. then take a "rubber cork", drill 2 holes in it just a hair smaller than the power cable. You will then make a cut on the side of the cork, so that the cable cable be slid into the hole. This will need to be done twice, once for each hole. You can then slide the "Cork" down the cable and into the hole you drilled. This will seal the hole.

I did this for my setup that I use to bring collected items back from FL. I did it in a large yeti cooler, but the same principle should still apply. If using a thin tote, I would suggest routing a thin ring into the "cork" so the plastic can sit in that. This would ensure a good seal and keep it from popping out.

You might even be able to use some of these, as they are pre drilled.