It seems that in every industry, there are two or three major players that everyone is chasing after. They are the creators of the wheel, the gurus, the ones with all the answers. Yet, despite all of this disingenuous awe, everyone has ?EUR??,,????'??a better idea.?EUR??,,????'?? Well, in my most humble opinion, with few exceptions, these ?EUR??,,????'??better ideas?EUR??,,????'?? have done little to improve the performance of the enclosure nor have they initiated lower pricing. They have however prompted Johnny-come-lately to misuse otherwise good products in order to be cheap and to get orders or jobs. In addition, the multiple offerings have caused mass confusion for the designer?EUR??,,????'???s resulting in pure frustration for the installing irrigation contractor. Let?EUR??,,????'???s face it, we all have an agenda - I do and so do you, but in order to make sense of what?EUR??,,????'???s available and its intended use, we must set aside our agendas long enough to address the issues at hand. What are we protecting? What are we protecting it from? Which product is best suited for the situation? This is as straightforward as it gets. In the Irrigation market, typically, the ?EUR??,,????'??what?EUR??,,????'?? is a backflow preventer or a booster pump. The ?EUR??,,????'??from what?EUR??,,????'?? is vandalism or freezing. The ?EUR??,,????'??which product,?EUR??,,????'?? well, we need to take a closer look. Insulated Wrap: When using a wrap, there are two very important things to remember, particularly for backflow preventers. First, you can?EUR??,,????'???t cover test cocks, relief valves or the shut off valves if the product is to be tested or serviced while it?EUR??,,????'???s wrapped up. Secondly, the insulating material should be waterproof (definitely not a fiberglass batten insulation). Non-metal wrap products should be considered ?EUR??,,????'??temporary freeze protection?EUR??,,????'?? and should only be used in very mild climates. Metal Wrap Insulating products are specifically designed to prevent pipe from freezing. Additionally, they are commonly used on anything that doesn?EUR??,,????'???t require servicing because of the inherent difficulty of removal and reinstallation, it should be considered ?EUR??,,????'??permanent freeze protection.?EUR??,,????'?? This product is normally used in mild climates or used in conjunction with heat trace in colder climates. Insulated bags: The insulated bag is one of the exceptions that I referred to earlier as actually being a ?EUR??,,????'??Better Idea.?EUR??,,????'?? They?EUR??,,????'???re easy to install, allow easy access and most have provisions for a padlock, more to prevent the bag from being taken than preventing vandalism. They offer good freeze protection in mild climates and are much cheaper than a fiberglass enclosure. BUT BEWARE, some bag manufacturers are claiming some very lofty ?EUR??,,????'??R-30?EUR??,,????'?? Values. Just because the pink insulation says ?EUR??,,????'??R-30?EUR??,,????'?? doesn?EUR??,,????'???t mean the insulation will perform at that level especially considering one side is open to the elements. Additionally, Thermal Values can easily be over come if the product is not waterproof. Some bag manufacturers use a canvas type cotton blend material and pink or yellow batten fiberglass insulation inside. Once this product gets wet, either from rain, sprinklers or from valve discharge, you can forget about freeze protection. When wet, this product will do more harm than if the device was left completely unprotected. On the upside, a waterproof product with a sufficient ?EUR??,,????'??R?EUR??,,????'?? Value will protect the device from moderate freeze conditions. Bags are more expensive than a wrap; however, they can be used for many years, making them very economical. Like wraps, this product offers no vandal protection or protection against prolonged freezing conditions. Fiberglass enclosures: The fiberglass enclosure is a very versatile product. It offers a higher level of freeze protection than all of the above mentioned products. This type of installation is conducive to adding a heat source that gives the enclosure the ability to offer freeze protection in the most demanding climates. The fiberglass enclosure gives an implied ability to provide vandal protection and depending on the manufacturer, the cost can range from expensive to down right cheap. This is not to say they don?EUR??,,????'???t have shortcomings. Small fiberglass enclosures are usually very stout, but have a reputation for being damaged in transit. Also, shipping costs tend to be much higher than even the metal products. And, like most plastic derivatives, heat has a detrimental effect. Faux Rock Enclosures: Gaining in popularity are the fake rocks or rockscapes. Presently, several enclosure manufacturers are offering the designer rock in a variety of materials. The more common are compressed foam, fiberglass, ABS and polyethylene. The compressed foam products came to the market approximately 5-6 years ago and although they look great, they tend to have a relatively short life expectancy. That wouldn?EUR??,,????'???t be so terrible if they weren?EUR??,,????'???t so expensive. The biggest and most frequent complaint heard is that of the lawn maintenance crew. ?EUR??,,????'??Weed-Wackers tear them apart.?EUR??,,????'?? Fortunately, you have several very good options. There are various fiberglass products on the market and although they do not look as good as the compressed foam, they are much more durable and less expensive. But let?EUR??,,????'???s not stop there! Two newer products are making a strong challenge to fiberglass, ABS and rotationally molded polyethylene. The ABS product is vacuum formed. It?EUR??,,????'???s much cheaper than fiberglass, much more durable and it?EUR??,,????'???s a very convincing rock imitation. The only drawback is that spray foam insulation doesn?EUR??,,????'???t adhere to this type of plastic. If freeze protection is required, a wrap or bag must also be used. The rotationally molded polyethylene rock has a similar problem in that it retains moisture preventing spray foam insulation from being added. Ironically, spray paint from the neighborhood hoodlum won?EUR??,,????'???t stick either and with a little water pressure can be easily washed off. As is, this product yields a modest ?EUR??,,????'??R-3?EUR??,,????'?? Value which is substantially lower than the typical insulated fiberglass enclosure (?EUR??,,????'??R-6 to R-8?EUR??,,????'??). However, if the climate allows or if heat is required, this is still a better value. A second version of the polyethylene rock receives an injection of air before the product is completely molded. Millions of tiny air bubbles are trapped inside the plastic which is exactly how insulation works. The thermal value increases to a respectable ?EUR??,,????'??R-9. Unfortunately the added process is reflected in the price. Metal products are considered to be the Cadillac of enclosures - In other words, expensive. In the metal category, we have steel cages, steel fabricated enclosures and aluminum fabricated enclosures. The most obvious commonality is vandal protection. The cage typically offers the highest level of vandal protection and it?EUR??,,????'???s least likely to be damaged by over zealous freight handlers but it?EUR??,,????'???s relatively expensive and does nothing to protect devices from freezing. If you?EUR??,,????'???re located close to the manufacturer, it never freezes and vandalism is ?EUR??,,????'??the?EUR??,,????'?? concern, the cage is your best bet. The Steel and Aluminum fabricated enclosure have virtually all of the same virtues and vices. Each have a high level of vandal protection however steel is slightly cheaper, it?EUR??,,????'???s much heavier and occasionally will need a coat of paint. The extra weight also means that shipping costs are slightly higher and you?EUR??,,????'???ll need a bit extra oomph to move or operate access panels and doors. Depending on how metal enclosures are constructed, they can offer impenetrable vandal protection but the price becomes exorbitant. A more reasonable approach is to purchase standard metal products. The metal enclosure offers many of the features but often at a higher price. The drawback? Metal enclosures often require assembly at the job site. In conclusion, I can make a case for any of the above products providing the application is correct. My best advice is to have reasonable expectations and to focus on what is a probable scenario at each location. For more demanding installations, such as a hospitals or high schools, you should consider purchasing an enclosure that is certified to ASSE 1060, Performance Requirements for Backflow Prevention Assemblies. This standard insures that you will get adequate vandal protection, the proper level of freeze protection (up to -30?????F if needed), load bearing to 100lbs per sq./ft. drains that are flow tested and proven to work, corrosion resistant materials and non-wicking waterproof insulation.