IP Ratings
There is no shortage of information on IP ratings on line. We won’t try to duplicate some terrific explanations, charts, and graphics here. Just provide a few facts and a chart.
IP is a code that represents a rating for Ingress Protection indicating what types of materials might make their way into your device. It is an internationally recognized standard for mechanical casings and electrical enclosures.
The first digit represents how well the product keeps solid particles out, and the second is a rating of liquid. Remember that if a particular device has an IP rating that does not match your application, CoastIPC likely has a solution. From simple port dust covers, to custom watertight enclosures, we can build something that matches your requirements.
First digit: Solid particle protection
The first digit indicates the level of protection the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.
| Level | Effective against | Description |
| X | Unknown | X means no data is available to specify a protection rating about this criterion. |
| 0 | — | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | > 50 mm 2.0 in | Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part |
| 2 | > 12.5 mm 0.49 in | Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | > 2.5 mm 0.098 in | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | > 1 mm 0.039 in | Most wires, slender screws, large ants, etc. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the safe operation of the equipment. |
| 6 | Dust-tight | No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on airflow. |
Second digit: Liquid ingress protection
The second digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water.
The ratings for water ingress are not cumulative beyond IPX6. A device compliant with IPX7 (covering water immersion) is not necessarily compliant with IPX5 or IPX6 (covering exposure to water jets). A device that meets both tests is indicated by listing both tests separated by a slash, e.g. IPX5/IPX7.
| Level | Effective against | Effective against | Details |
| X | Unknown | — | X means no data is available to specify a protection rating concerning these criteria. |
| 0 | None | — | No protection against ingress of water |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no unsafe effect on the specimen when mounted upright onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. |
Test duration: 10 minutes Water equivalent to 1 mm (0.039 in) rainfall per minute |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted at 15° | Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested within two axes. |
Test duration: 2.5 minutes for every direction of tilt (10 minutes total) Water equivalent to 3 mm (0.12 in) rainfall per minute |
| 3 | Spraying water |
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield. Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then repeated with the specimen rotated horizontally by 90° for the second 5-minute test. Test b) is conducted (with a shield in place) for 5 minutes minimum. |
For a spray nozzle: Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 5 minutes[6] Water volume: 10 liters per minute (0.037 impgal/s) Pressure: 50–150 kPa (7.3–21.8 psi) For an oscillating tube: Test duration: 10 minutes Water volume: 0.07 liters per minute (0.00026 impgal/s) per hole |
| 4 | Splashing of water |
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with no shield. Test a) is conducted for 10 minutes. b) is conducted (without shield) for 5 minutes minimum. |
Oscillating tube: Test duration: 10 minutes, or spray nozzle (same as IPX3 spray nozzle with the shield removed) |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm (0.25 in)) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 3 minutes Water volume: 12.5 litres per minute Pressure: 30 kPa (4.4 psi) at distance of 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm (0.49 in)) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 3 minutes Water volume: 100 liters per minute (0.37 impgal/s) Pressure: 100 kPa (15 psi) at distance of 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
| 6K | Powerful water jets with increased pressure | Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm (0.25 in) nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects. Found in DIN 40050, and not IEC 60529. |
Test duration: at least 3 minutes Water volume: 75 liters per minute (0.27 impgal/s) Pressure: 1,000 kPa (150 psi) at distance of 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
| 7 | Immersion, up to 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) depth | Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) of submersion). |
Test duration: 30 minutes. Tested with the lowest point of the enclosure 1,000 mm (39 in) below the surface of the water, or the highest point 150 mm (5.9 in) below the surface, whichever is deeper. |
| 8 | Immersion, 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) or more depth | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which the manufacturer shall specify. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only so that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and duration are expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. |
Test duration: agreement with the manufacturer Depth specified by the manufacturer, generally up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
| 9 | Powerful high-temperature water jets |
Protected against close-range high-pressure, high-temperature spray downs. Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a turntable from 4 specific angles. Larger specimens are mounted in the intended position when used, no turntable required, and are tested freehand for at least 3 minutes at a distance of 0.15–0.2 meters (5.9 in – 7.9 in). The specific requirements for the test nozzle are shown in figures 7, 8, & 9 of IEC (or EN) 60529. This test is identified as IPx9 in IEC 60529. |
Test duration: Fixture: 30 sec. in each of 4 angles (2 min. total), Freehand: 1 min/m2, 3 min. minimum Water volume: 14–16 liters per minute (0.051–0.059 impgal/s) Pressure: 8–10 MPa (80–100 bar) at distance of 0.10–0.15 meters (3.9 in – 5.9 in) Water temperature: 80 °C (176 °F) |
(All tests with the letter "K" are defined by ISO 20653 (replacing DIN 40050-9) and are not found in IEC 60529, except for IPx9, which is the same as the IP69K water test.)
