Table of Contents
What is an IP Rating (Ingress Protection)? #
The IP rating or IP code classifies the degree of protection provided by an enclosure, for electrical equipment with a rated voltage not exceeding 72.5 kV. IP ratings are defined by the international standard EN 60529 (British Standard BS EN 60529:1992). This standard defines levels of sealing effectiveness against “ingress” i.e. intrusion from foreign bodies such as tools, dirt and liquid water.
What do the two digits in an IP Rating mean? #
The rating consists of the letters IP followed by two digits, the higher the number the better the protection. Sometimes a number is replaced by X, which indicates that the enclosure is not rated for that specification.
IP65 = First Digit – Solids #
The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against the ingress of solid foreign objects, from tools or fingers that could be hazardous if they came into contact with electrical conductors or moving parts, to airborne dirt and dust that could damage circuitry.
IP65 = Second Digit – Liquids #
The second digit defines the protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion etc).
Reference Chart #
| First Digit | Intrusion Protection | Second Digit | Moisture Protection |
| 0 | No protection. | 0 | No protection. |
| 1 | Protected against solid objects over 50mm, e.g. accidental touch by hands. | 1 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water, e.g. condensation. |
| 2 | Protected against solid objects over 12mm, e.g. fingers. | 2 | Protected against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from the vertical. |
| 3 | Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm, e.g. tools & wires. | 3 | Protected against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from the vertical. |
| 4 | Protected against solid objects over 1mm, e.g. wires & nails. | 4 | Protected against water splashed from all directions, limited ingress permitted. |
| 5 | Protected against dust limited ingress, no harmful deposits. | 5 | Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions, limited ingress permitted. |
| 6 | Totally protected against dust. | 6 | Protected against strong jets of water, e.g. on ships deck, limited ingress permitted. |
IP Rating Reference Chart #
| IP Rating | First Digit – Solids | Second Digit – Liquids |
| IP00 | Not protected from solids. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP01 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP02 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP03 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP04 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP05 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP06 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP07 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP08 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP10 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP11 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP12 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP13 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP14 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP15 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP16 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP17 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP18 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from long trem immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP20 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP21 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP22 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP23 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP24 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP25 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP26 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP27 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP28 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP30 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP31 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP32 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP33 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP34 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP35 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP36 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP37 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP38 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP40 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP41 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP42 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP43 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP44 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP45 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from low pressure water jets in any direction. |
| IP46 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP47 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP48 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP50 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP51 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP52 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP53 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP54 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP55 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP56 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP57 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP58 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP60 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP61 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP62 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP63 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP64 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP65 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP66 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP67 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP68 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP69K | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from steam-jet cleaning. |
References
Rainford Solutions. (2021, November 2). IP ratings explained: IP Rating Chart. Rainford Solutions. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://rainfordsolutions.com/products/ingress-protection-ip-rated-enclosures/ip-enclosure-ratings-standards-explained/
