WHAT IS AN IP RATING?
IP Ratings Explained
An IP rating or also known as the Ingress Protection rating, is a system made by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to help explain the levels of protection for electrical enclosures against the elements around us (such as water and dust).
To put this simply, an IP rating will indicate how waterproof and dustproof an electrical product is. This system is used worldwide so that there will be a simpler way to to compare the sealant of every product. The aim is to give you a much more detailed definition on the level and the amount of protection the housing of a piece of electrical equipment has, rather than relying on terms such as ‘waterproof’, ‘splash proof’ or by simply vaguely its 'dust proof'.
The IP Rating table bellow will explain everything you need to know to help you get familiar with your product.
The First Digit
Depending on how the number increases or decreases, the first digit of the rating tells you how it will be protected from physical objects such as screw drivers or rocks.
The maximum value is 6, which means that there's no ingress of dust.
The Second Digit
The second number tells you the level of water resistance the electrical appliance has. This varies from water condensation, drip, water jets and total immersion.
The maximum value is 9, which means that its protected against close range, powerful and high temperature water jets.