Electrical items designed for outdoor use are tested & rated according to the level of ingress protection they provide.
| 1st Digit - Solid Particle Protection | ||
|---|---|---|
| Level | Protection against object sized | Effective against |
| 0 | - | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | >50 mm | 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 | Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | >2.5 mm | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | >1 mm | Most wires, slender screws, ants etc. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory 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 air flow. |
| 2nd Digit - Liquid Ingress Protection asdasd | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Protection against object sized | Effective against | Details |
| 0 | None | - | - |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect. | Test duration: 10 minutesWater equivalent to 1 mm rainfall per minute |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted up to 15° | Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position. | Test duration: 10 minutesWater equivalent to 3 mm 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. | Test duration: 5 minutesWater volume: 0.7 litres per minutePressure: 50–150 kPa |
| 4 | Splashing of water | Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect. | Test duration: 5 minutesWater volume: 10 litres per minutePressure: 50–150 kPa |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. | Test duration: at least 3 minutesWater volume: 12.5 litres per minutePressure: 30 kPa at distance of 3 m |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. | Test duration: at least 3 minutesWater volume: 100 litres per minutePressure: 100 kPa at distance of 3 m |
| 6K | Powerful water jets with increased pressure | Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects. | Test duration: at least 3 minutesWater volume: 75 litres per minutePressure: 1000 kPa at distance of 3 m |
| 7 | Immersion, up to 1 m 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 m of submersion). | Test duration: 30 minutesTested with the lowest point of the enclosure 1000 mm below the surface of the water, or the highest point 150 mm below the surface, whichever is deeper. |
| 8 | Immersion, 1 m or more depth | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and/or duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7. | Test duration: continuous immersion in waterDepth specified by manufacturer, generally up to 3 m |
| 9K | Powerful high temperature water jets | Protected against close-range high pressure, high temperature spray downs.Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a turntable, larger specimens are tested freehand for a longer time. Smaller specimens are tested from 4 specific angles.There are specific requirements for the nozzle used for the testing. | Test duration: 30 seconds in each of 4 angles (2 minutes total)Water volume: 14–16 litres per minutePressure: 8–10 MPa (80–100 bar) at distance of 0.10–0.15 mWater temperature: 80 °C |
You should always consult a qualified electrician to ensure suitability.
You can find out more about IP ratings at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code