Ingress protection, or IP, standards dictate the level of water protection for equipment enclosures. Significant differences exist between water resistant, waterproof, and other labels—but what does each of the actual IP standards mean?
For starters, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) sets the standards based on testing protocols and general requirements. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll focus on the differences between IP 65, IP 66 and IP 67. Each of these represents a slightly different level of water protection for enclosures.
Breaking Down the Numbers
First Digit: Solids.
As mentioned above, IP stands for “ingress protection.” The first digit represents protection against solids. A “6” means the enclosures are dust-tight. No dust enters the enclosure after significant, rigorous testing. It is the highest of the solid particle protection standards.
Second Digit: Liquids.
In simple terms, the higher the value of the second digit, the greater the level of protection from liquids. Summarized, each rating is as follows:
IP 65: Water projected from a nozzle from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
IP 66: Water projected in powerful jets from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
IP 67: Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time.
Testing details that lead to the above ratings are as follows:
|
Testing Features |
IP 65 |
IP 66 |
IP 67 |
|
Protection Against |
Water jets |
Powerful water jets |
Immersion up to 1 meter |
|
Test Method |
Water projected by a nozzle 6.3 mm (.25 in.) against enclosure |
Water projected by powerful jets 12.5 mm (.49 in.) against enclosure |
Immersion at depth of at least 1 m measured at bottom of enclosure, and at least 150 mm at top |
|
Duration |
1 minute per square meter for at least 3 minutes |
1 minute per square meter for at least 3 minutes |
30 minutes |
|
Water Pressure |
30 kPa (4.4 psi) from 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
100 kPa (15 psi) from 3 meters (9.8 ft) |
N/A |
|
Water Volume |
12.5 liters per minute |
100 liters per minute |
N/A |
Options Available from Transtector
Two-digit IP ratings range down to “00” (no protection from solids or liquids) up to the IP 67 enclosures offered by Transtector Systems and beyond. Again, in simple terms, the higher the numbers, the higher the level of protection. Contact Transtector today to determine which enclosure is best for your application, or learn more about our NEMA enclosures here.
