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IP - Ingress Protection Ratings

IP - Ingress Protection rating is used to specify the environmental protection of electrical equipment

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings are developed by the European Committee for Electro Technical Standardization (CENELEC) (described IEC/EN 60529). They specify the environmental protection that an enclosure provides.

The IP rating normally has two (or three) numbers:

  1. Protection from solid objects or materials
  2. Protection from liquids
  3. Protection against mechanical impacts (commonly omitted)

Example - IP Rating

In an IP rating of IP 54, the '5' shows the level of protection from solid objects and the '4' the level of protection from liquids.

IP First number - Protection against solid objects

0 No protection.
1 Protected against solid objects up to 50mm, e.g. accidental touch by hands.
2 Protected against solid objects up to 12mm, e.g. fingers.
3 Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (tools and wires).
4 Protected against solid objects over 1mm (tools, wire, and small wires).
5 Protected against dust limited ingress (no harmful deposit).
6 Totally protected against dust.

IP Second number - Protection against liquids

0 No protection.
1 Protection against vertically falling drops of water e.g. condensation.
2 Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15° from the vertical.
3 Protected against direct sprays of water up to 60° from the vertical.
4 Protection against water sprayed from all directions Ð limited ingress permitted.
5 Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions Ð limited ingress.
6 Protected against low pressure jets of water, e.g. for use on ship decks - limited ingress permitted.
7 Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m.
8 Protects against long periods of immersion under pressure.

IP Third number - Protection against mechanical impacts (commonly omitted)

0 No protection.
1 Protects against impact of 0.225 joule (e.g. 150g weight falling from 15cm height).
2 Protected against impact of 0.375 joule (e.g. 250g weight falling from 15cm height).
3 Protected against impact of 0.5 joule (e.g. 250g weight falling from 20cm height).
4 Protected against impact of 2.0 joule (e.g. 500g weight falling from 40cm height).
5 Protected against impact of 6.0 joule (e.g. 1.5kg weight falling from 40cm height).
6 Protected against impact of 20.0 joule (e.g. 5kg weight falling from 40cm height).