The IP Code, International Protection Marking, IEC standard 60529, sometimes interpreted as Ingress Protection Marking, classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures.
The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof. Two numbers indicate protection against solid bodies (first digit) and against liquids (second digit), in accordance with the charts below.
Ingress Protection Rating Guide
First Number | Effective Against
| 0 |
- No protection (Sometimes X)
|
| 1 |
- Protected against solid objects up to 50mm3
|
| 2 |
- Protected against solid objects up to 12mm3
|
| 3 |
- Protected against solid objects up to 2.5mm3
|
| 4 |
- Protected against solid objects up to 1mm3
|
| 5 |
- Protected against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit)
|
| 6 |
- Totally protected against dust
|
Second Number | Effective Against
| 0 |
- No protection (Sometimes X)
|
| 1 |
- Protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation)
|
| 2 |
- Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical
|
| 3 |
- Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical
|
| 4 |
- Protection against water sprayed from all directions – limited ingress permitted
|
| 5 |
- Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions – limited ingress permitted
|
| 6 |
- Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (e.g. ship deck)
|
| 7 |
- Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m
|
| 8 |
- Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure
|
| 9K |
- Protected against close range, high pressure and high tempurature spray
|
