Ingress Protection (IP) Ratings

What is an IP rating?

IP ratings are defined in international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989). They are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (tools, dirt etc) and moisture.

What do the numbers in an IP Rating mean?
Each number in the IP rating indicates a level of protection.

The first number indicates the degree of intrusion protection (of people) from moving parts, as well as the protection of enclosed equipment from foreign bodies.

The second defines the moisture protection level that the enclosure enjoys from various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion etc). The tables below should help make sense of it:

IP Rated Enclosures – quick find chart

First Digit (intrusion protection)

0 - No special protection

1 - Protection from a large part of the body such as a hand (but no protection from deliberate access); from solid objects greater than 50mm in diameter.

2 - Protection against fingers or other object not greater than 80mm in length and 12mm in diameter.

3 - Protection from entry by tools, wires etc, with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more.

4- Protection against solid bodies larger than 1mm (eg fine tools/small etc).

5 - Protected against dust that may harm equipment.

6 - Totally dust tight.

Second Digit (moisture protection)

0 - No protection.

1 - Protection against condensation.

2 - Protection against water droplets deflected up to 15° from vertical

3 - Protected against spray up to 60° from vertical.

4 - Protected against water spray from all directions.

5 - Protection against low pressure water jets (all directions)

6 - Protection against string water jets and waves.

7 - Protected against temporary immersion.

8 - Protected against prolonged effects of immersion under pressure.