From the Field: Remove the Protective Coating!

In our travels across the country spreading the good news of above-ground valve and pump installation, we stumbled across a Safe-T-Cover enclosure that did not meet our aesthetic standards.

As you can see, whoever installed the enclosure did not finish removing the protective PVC coating from the aluminum panels. This is definitely not a best practice! If you are not aware, all aluminum panels for Safe-T-Cover enclosures come from the factory with an adhesive layer of PVC coating. This coating protects the aluminum finish from inadvertent scratches and dents that can occur during our forming processes and during on-site assembly. It is clearly marked with multiple stickers and notifications that the coating is to be completely removed after the enclosure is installed.

After researching the serial number, we found this enclosure had been installed for almost two years with the coating half-removed. The coating was baked onto the aluminum and made it extremely difficult to peel off. The failure to remove and long-term exposure to weather also caused some permanent 'streaking' that is impossible to remove.

It took us about an hour to fully remove the remaining film, because after that much time exposed to the elements, it only comes off in little flakes and pieces. After removing the film, the Safe-T-Cover still looks good, but it has permanent damage after spent years looking incomplete with half-removed protective film.

Please remember to remove the protective coating after installation: the aesthetics of your enclosure depend on it!