Do You Need a Bigger Boot?

The circuitry with electronic equipment can be extremely fragile, especially when exposed to environmental substances like water, salt, dirt, and chemicals. Even small amounts of these contaminants can damage electronics easily. This damage usually leads to unplanned downtime, profit loss, and a jump in equipment repair and replacement costs.

The risk lies in the gaps between switches and other parts. Even tight-fitting assemblies typically have minor gaps in areas where there are movable parts like switches—otherwise, friction would prevent the parts from moving—and any connection point could conceivably let foreign material seep into the machinery. This is a significant problem in many industries—but in marine environments especially.

Sealing boots offer a solution to protect electronics exposed by switches. These boots are typically made of rubber and act as flexible covers that seal—hence the name—the gaps around a switch,  or a circuit breaker, while still allowing them to move and actuate freely. These boots are a necessary form of protection for sensitive electronics and form a strong barrier between those circuits and potentially damaging contaminants.