IP Rating Chart

Ingress Protection (IP) and what it means

The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating*) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.

The digits (characteristic numerals) indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. For example, an electrical socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or 2X are typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.

*Explanation of the letters IP is given in IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.1), clause 4.1


IP68
Ingress
Protection
First Digit:
Solids Protection
Second Digit:
Liquids Protection

First Digit: Solids

The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

LevelObject size
protected against
Effective against
0Not protectedNo protection against contact and ingress of objects
1>50mmAny large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but
no protection against deliberate contact with a body part.
2>12.5mmFingers or similar objects.
3>2.5mmTools, thick wires, etc.
4>1mmMost wires, screws, etc.
5Dust ProtectedIngress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the
equipment; complete protection against contact.
6Dust TightNo ingress of dust; complete protection against contact.

Second Digit: Liquids

Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.

LevelObject size protected againstEffective against
0Not protected
1DrippingwaterDripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect.
2Drippingwaterwhen 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.
3SprayingwaterWater falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall  have no harmful effect.
4SplashingwaterWater splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have  no harmful effect.
5Water jetsWater projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from anydirection shall have no harmful effects.
6Powerfulwater jetsWater projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the  enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
7Immersionup to 1mIngress 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).
8Immersionbeyond 1mThe equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under  conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally,this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However,with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enterbut only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.

IP Rating Reference Chart

Below is an easy to follow reference chart to help you decide which IP rating you need or have.

IP NumberFirst Digit – SOLIDSSecond Digit – LIQUIDS
IP00Not protected from solids.Not protected from liquids.
IP01Not protected from solids.Protected from condensation.
IP02Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 15degrees from vertical.
IP03Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 60degrees from vertical.
IP04Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05Not protected from solids.Protected from low pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP06Not protected from solids.Protected from high pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP07Not protected from solids.Protected from immersion between 15centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP08Not protected from solids.Protected from long term immersion up to aspecified pressure.
IP10Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.Not protected from liquids.
IP11Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from condensation.
IP12Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 15  degrees from vertical.
IP13Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 60  degrees from vertical.
IP14Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from low pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP16Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from high pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP17Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from immersion between 15  centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP18Protected from touch by hands greaterthan 50 millimeters.Protected from long term immersion up to a  specified pressure.
IP20Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Not protected from liquids.
IP21Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from condensation.
IP22Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 60  degrees from vertical.
IP24Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from low pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP26Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from high pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP27Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from immersion between 15  centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP28Protected from touch by fingers andobjects greater than 12 millimeters.Protected from long term immersion up to a  specified pressure.
IP30Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Not protected from liquids.
IP31Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from condensation.
IP32Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 15  degrees from vertical.
IP33Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from water spray less than 60  degrees from vertical.
IP34Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from low pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP36Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from high pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP37Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from immersion between 15  centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP38Protected from tools and wires greaterthan 2.5 millimeters.Protected from long term immersion up to a  specified pressure.
IP40Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Not protected from liquids.
IP41Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from condensation.
IP42Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from water spray less than 15  degrees from vertical.
IP43Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from water spray less than 60  degrees from vertical.
IP44Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from low pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP46Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from high pressure water jets from  any direction.
IP47Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from immersion between 15  centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP48Protected from tools and small wiresgreater than 1 millimeter.Protected from long term immersion up to a  specified pressure.
IP50Protected from limited dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP51Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP52Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15degrees from vertical.
IP53Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60degrees from vertical.
IP54Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP56Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP57Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP58Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to aspecified pressure.
IP60Protected from total dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP61Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP62Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15degrees from vertical.
IP63Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60degrees from vertical.
IP64Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP66Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets fromany direction.
IP67Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to aspecified pressure.
IP69KProtected from total dust ingress.Protected from steam-jet cleaning.

REFERENCES

1. IEC 60529, “degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Codes),” Ed. 2.1 (Geneva: International Electrotechnical Commision, 2011)

2. IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.1), clause 4.1.

For more information on IP Rating please consider the following links:

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