What is the IP Rating?
The IP Rating ( Ingress Protection Rating ) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. It classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures.
First Digit: Solids
The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects. If you find a rating that has a letter "X" in its "IP" Rating, it means a value has not been assigned for that type of ingress. For example, you may find an "IP" Rating of "X4."
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not protected | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | >50mm | Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part. |
| 2 | >12.5mm | Fingers or similar objects. |
| 3 | >2.5mm | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | >1mm | 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. |
Second Digit: Liquids
Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not protected | – |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect. |
| 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. |
| 3 | Spraying water | Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect. |
| 4 | Splashing water | Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect. |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 7 | Immersion up to 1m | 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). |
| 8 | Immersion beyond 1m | 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. |