The IP Code – International Protection Rating
This rating 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. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.
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.
The second digit shows the protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.
1st Digit – Protection against solid objects
| Level | Object Size Protected Against | Effective Against |
|---|---|---|
| – | No protection against contact and ingress of objects | |
| 1 | Less than 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 | Less than 12.5 mm | Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | Less than 2.5 mm | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | Less than 1 mm | Most wires, screws, etc. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Some dust may enter, but not enough to interfere with the equipment’s safe operation |
| 6 | Dust tight | No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact |
2nd Digit – Protection against liquids
| Level | Protected Against | Details |
|---|---|---|
| – | No protection | |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) will have no harmful effect |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted up to 15° | Vertically dripping water will 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 will have no harmful effect |
| 4 | Splashing water | Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction will have no harmful effect |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle against enclosure from any direction will have no harmful effects |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets against the enclosure from any direction will have no harmful effects |
| 7 | Immersion up to 1 meter | Ingress of water in harmful quantity will not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 meter of submersion for 30 minutes) |
| 8 | Immersion beyond 1 meter | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. NOTE: 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 produces no harmful effects |
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