Ingress Protection [IP] Rating

The IP Code (or Ingress Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as International Protection Rating) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits or one digit and one letter and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, IP Code classifies and rates the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in mechanical casings and with electrical enclosures.

The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof. However, no edition of the standard is openly published for unlicensed readers, hence leaving space for varying interpretation.

For example: IP64 IP65 IP66 IP67 IP68

First Digit – Solids

Level
Object size protected against
Effective against
0
No protection against contact and ingress of objects
1
>50 mm
Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part
2
>12.5 mm
Fingers or similar objects
3
>2.5 mm
Tools, thick wires, etc.
4
>1 mm
Most wires, screws, etc.
5
Dust protected
Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact
6
Dust tight
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact

 

The second digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts and the ingress of water.

Level
Protected against
Testing for
Details
0
Not protected
1
Dripping water
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect.

Test duration: 10 minutes

Water equivalent to 1mm rainfall per minute

2
Dripping water when tilted up to 15°
Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.

Test duration: 10 minutes

Water equivalent to 3mm rainfall per minute

3
Spraying water
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.

Test duration: 5 minutes

Water volume: 0.7 litres per minute

Pressure: 80–100 kN/m²

4
Splashing water
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.

Test duration: 5 minutes

Water volume: 10 litres per minute

Pressure: 80–100 kN/m²

5
Water jets
Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

Test duration: at least 3 minutes

Water volume: 12.5 litres per minute

Pressure: 30 kN/m² at distance of 3m

6
Powerful water jets
Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

Test duration: at least 3 minutes

Water volume: 100 litres per minute

Pressure: 100 kN/m² at distance of 3m

7
Immersion up to 1 m
Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).

Test duration: 30 minutes

Immersion at depth of 1m

8
Immersion beyond 1 m
The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.

Test duration: continuous immersion in water

Depth specified by manufacturer