What is an IP Rating?

The IP Rating or 'Ingress Protection' Rating defines the levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from moisture and foreign bodies. IP Ratings are an important indicator of how protected the electrical enclosures will be in a particular operating environment.

What do the IP Rating Numbers mean?

The numbers that follow IP each have a specific meaning. The first indicates the level of protection from foreign bodies (tools, dirt etc). The second defines the protection level from various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion etc).

IP Rating Reference Chart - First numeral

IP1_	Protected against solid bodies greater than 50mm (eg. involuntary hand contact)	IP2_	Protected against solid bodies greater than 12mm (eg. fingers)
IP3_	Protected against solids bodies greater than 2.5mm (eg. tools, cables...)	IP4_	Protected against solids bodies greater than 1mm (eg. small tools, fine cables...)
IP5_	Protected against dust (no harmful deposits)	IP6_	fully Protected against dust

IP Rating Reference Chart - Second numeral

IP_1	Protected against dripping water (condensation)	IP_2	Protected against falling water up to 15° from the vertical
IP_3	Protected against rain water up to 60° from the vertical	IP_4	Protected against water splashing in all directions
IP_5	Protected against water jets from all directions	IP_6	Protected against wave-like water jets from all directions
IP_7	Protected against immersion up to 1m	IP_8	Protected against the effects of prolonged immersion under water over 1m