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NEON- Plastic Boots: CSA responds...

I finally contacted CSA on the plastic boot thing.  My contact there was
Lee Rodgers: an engineer in their Lighting Products division.  His phone
number (in Canada): 416-747-4395.  I found CSA very professional and
responsive (compared to the other testing lab).

According to him (and this is with the Masters Tech. file in his hand)
they are not listed for use outside unless enclosed and protected from
weather.  He said there's an important distinction to be made between
"wet" and "weather."  Even between "wet" and "rain."

The "wet" test is a humidity absorption evaluation.  The product is
subjected to extreme moisture levels and tested for any absorption.
Masters has passed this test.  "Rain" is different, and it involves high
pressure water directly on the product.  Masters have not (according to
him) been subjected to this test.  The  "Weatherometer" test is used to
evaluate products for outside, exposed use.  It involves a high
intensity Xenon lamp at close range.  Every 18 minutes, the product is
sprayed with water for a period and allowed to dry out.  With the lamp
on, this cycle repeats for 500 hours.  After this the product is tested
to see if it still meets original specs.   A brutal test  - he's not
aware of any plastics passing.  It is designed to simulate several
seasons outside. He told me specifically that the Masters (and
Electrobits) have NOT been subjected to this test.  GTO  sleeving is
similarly rated (ie: NOT for outside, exposed).  On top of the weather
test, there's an additional "cold weather" evaluation.  This too is more
severe than the "cold bend" test used.  It involves cycling to minus 20
deg. with moisture.  I didn't write this in my notes, but I believe he
said they haven't gone thru this either.

This is a similar story I got from UL.  But I should point out some of
the confusion here.  When I first asked UL if they were listed for
"outside," I got a "uh ...yes, wet locations."  But probing further,
they added "outside yes...  in an enclosure protected from weather."  I
didn't discuss the actual tests with UL (as with CSA), but I assume they
are similar.

Lee at CSA made a request:  if you come across any documentation that
insinuates their use outside (exposed to the weather) and they're flying
the CSA label - he'd like it faxed to him.  UL Follow-up Services made a
similar request.  We discussed the term "weather sealed."   Don't know
which manufacturer I saw that used that term , but at least one has.
This term (as related to listing), is misleading if the product has not
been subjected to the weatherometer, cold weather,  or rain tests.

There's an interesting twist to all this.  On the Electrobits web site
under "General Warnings" is a diagram for outdoor border tubing.  They
show an installation with plastic tube supports, plastic boots,  and
plastic GTO sleeving under a deep, sheltered cove.  Here they say:  "if
used outdoors  Electrobits parts must be sheltered within the perimeter
of a 45 degree triangle."  They have a picture there, and it's best you
look  - it's hard to describe.  Neither UL or CSA seemed familiar with
this scenario.  I'm suspicious that this is really just playing a trick
with the technical definition of "exposed to the weather."   I think an
important thing to keep in mind when considering these devices is that
(at least according to my inquiry) they have not passed any weather
tests.

Anyway - this is what my question-asking produced.  I'm sure this is not
the end of this.

      -John