Support Links
Ingress Protection Ratings
Ingress Protection (IP) ratings are developed by the European Committee for Electro Technical Standardization (CENELEC) (NEMA IEC 60529 Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures - IP Code), specify the environmental protection an enclosure provides.
The IP rating normally has two (or three) numbers:
- Protection from solid objects or materials
- Protection from liquids (water)
- Protection against mechanical impacts (commonly omitted, the third number is not a part of IEC 60529)
Example - IP Rating
With the IP rating IP 54, 5 describes the level of protection from solid objects and 4 describes the level of protection from liquids.
An "X" can used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection, i.e. IPX1 which addresses protection against vertically falling drops of water e.g. condensation..
| 1st Digit | Protection against solid objects | 2nd Digit | Protection against moisture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection
 |
0 | No protection
|
| 1 | Protected against solid objects up to 50mm, e.g. accidental touch by hands.
 |
1 | Protection against dripping water  |
| 2 | Protected against solid objects up to 12mm, e.g. fingers.  |
2 | Protection against dripping water when tilted up to 15°  |
| 3 | Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (tools and wires).  |
3 | Protection against spraying water  |
| 4 | Protected against solid objects over 1mm (tools, wire, and small wires).  |
4 | Protection against splashing water  |
| 5 | Protected against dust limited ingress (no harmful deposit).  |
5 | Protection against water jets  |
| 6 | Totally protected against dust.  |
6 | Protection against heavy seas  |
| 7 | Protection against the effects of immersion  |
||
| 8 | Protection against submersion  |
Support Links