What does IP Rating mean? - FAQ

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What does IP Rating mean?

An IP rating is used to help the end user determine an electrical appliances’ suitability for a given application. It provides information on the “Ingress Protection” (“IP”) rating of the device, so to deem it suitable for use in various environments. 

The IP rating is broken down in 4 characters; the first two always being “IP” followed by two further characters. These characters are generally numbers which range from 1-9.  The first character determines the ingress protection against dust and solids (intrusion protection).  The second character determines the ingress protection against liquids (moisture protection). The higher the number, the higher the protection against solids or liquid ingress.

On some occasions you can find an IP rating which shows a character as “X”.  This means it hasn't been tested as the manufacturer did not deem it necessary due to its intended use.

Intrusion Protection:

 0- No protection

 1- Protected against solid objects over 50mm (e.g. hands).

 2- Protected against solid objects over 20mm (e.g. fingers).

 3- Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (e.g. tools and wires).

 4- Protected against solid objects over 1mm (e.g. wires & nails).

 5- Protected against dust, limited ingress but not detrimental.

 6- Totally protected against dust and solid objects.

Moisture Protection:

 0- No Protection

 1- Protected against light vertically falling drops (e.g. condensation)

 2- Protected against light falling drops at up to 15 degrees from vertical. (e.g. condensation blown by wind)

 3- Protected against light falling drops at up to 60 degrees from vertical. 

 4- Protected against light falling drops from all directions, some ingress permitted.

 5- Protected against low pressure water from all directions. (e.g. rainfall)

 6- Protected against strong jets of water in all directions. (e.g. heavy rainfall or splashes)

 7- Protected against temporary immersion in 30cm - 1m water depth for up to 30 minutes.

 8- Protected against long periods of immersion. (this rating can be somewhat variable due to the differences in testing. The manufacturer should advise the depth and conditions at which the test has been carried out.) 

In the Aquatics industry there are a few IP ratings we generally use. 

For anything designed to be immersed permanently,an IP rating of IP68 is the minimum allowed.  The manufacturer should also ensure it is suited to its intended immersion period and depth. 

For items not being immersed in water but installed outdoors, a minimum rating of IP55 is required.  However, the higher the rating, the longer the item will generally last when exposed to the elements.

 

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