What Is An IP Code (Ingress Protection Rating)
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The IP Code, or ingress protection rating, European standard EN 60529. It classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion by dust and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures.
The IP Code is written as IPxx - where the first x relates to the protection against dust and the second x relates to the protection against water. |
Minimum Ratings for Applications:
IP44 (no objects >1mm and splash proof) is suitable for bathroom/kitchen (zones 1,2 and 3) installations.
IP65 (dust tight and protection against water jets) is suitable for outdoor use.
First Digit: Solid Particle Protection
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.
Number |
Effective Against |
Notes |
IP0x |
N/A |
No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
IP1x |
>50mm |
Protected against ingress of any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part |
IP2x |
>12.5mm |
Protected against ingress of fingers or similar objects |
IP3x |
>2.5mm |
Protected against ingress of tools, thick wires, etc. |
IP4x |
>1mm |
Protected against ingress of most wires, slender screws, large ants etc. |
IP5x |
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. |
IP6x |
Dust Tight |
There is no ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on air flow. |
Second Digit: Liquid Ingress Protection
The second digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water.
Number |
Protection Against |
Effective Against |
IPx0 |
N/A |
N/A |
IPx1 |
Dripping water |
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect on the specimen when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1RPM. |
IPx2 |
Dripping water when tilted at 15° |
Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested within two axes. |
IPx3 |
Spraying water |
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield.Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then repeated with the specimen tilted 90° for the second 5-minute test. Test b) is conducted (with shield in place) for 5 minutes minimum. |
IPx4 |
Splashing of water |
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with no shield.Test a) is conducted for 10 minutes. Test b) is conducted (without shield) for 5 minutes minimum. |
IPx5 |
Water jets |
Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects |
IPx6 |
Powerful water jets |
Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
IPx6K |
Powerful water jets with increased pressure |
Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects. |
IPx7 |
Immersion, up to 1m depth |
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). |
IPx8 |
Immersion, 1m or more depth |
The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. 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. The test depth and/or duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. |
IPx9K |
Powerful high temperature water jets |
Protected against close-range high pressure, high temperature spray downs. Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a turntable, from 4 specific angles. Larger specimens are mounted upright, no turntable required, and are tested freehand for at least 3 minutes at distance of 0.15–0.2 m. There are specific requirements for the nozzle used for the testing. |