IP Code
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
Sample IP Rating
IP -
First Digit: Solids
Second Digit: Liquids
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.
Level
Object size protected against
Effective against
Not protected
No protection against contact and ingress of objects
>50mm
Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but no
protection against deliberate contact with a body part.
>12.5mm
Fingers or similar objects.
>2.5mm
Tools, thick wires, etc.
>1mm
Most wires, screws, etc.
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; complete protection against contact.
6
Dust Tight
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact.
Second Digit: Liquids
Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.
Level
Object size protected against
Effective against
Not protected
Dripping watter
Dripping watter (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect.
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.
Spraying water
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60 from the vertical shall
have no harmful effect.
Splashing water
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have
no harmful effect.
Water jets
Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any
direction shall have no harmful effects.
Powerful water jets
Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the
enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
Immersion up to 1m
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).
Immersion beyond 1m
The 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 enter but
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
Number
First Digit - SOLIDS
Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP00
Not protected from solids.
Not protected from liquids.
IP01
Not protected from solids.
Protected from condensation.
IP02
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP03
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP04
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05
Not protected from solids.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP06
Not protected from solids.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP07
Not protected from solids.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP08
Not protected from solids.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP10
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP11
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP12
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP13
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP14
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP16
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP17
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP18
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50
millimeters.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP20
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP21
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP22
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP23
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP24
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP26
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP27
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP28
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater
than 12 millimeters.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP30
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP31
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP32
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP33
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP34
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP36
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP37
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP38
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5
millimeters.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP40
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Not protected from liquids.
IP41
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from condensation.
IP42
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP43
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP44
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP46
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP47
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP48
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1
millimeter.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP50
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Not protected from liquids.
IP51
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from condensation.
IP52
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP53
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP54
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP56
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP57
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP58
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP60
Protected from total dust ingress.
Not protected from liquids.
IP61
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from condensation.
IP62
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees
from vertical.
IP63
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees
from vertical.
IP64
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP66
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP67
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters
and 1 meter in depth.
IP68
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from long term immersion up to a
specified preasure.
IP69K
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from steam-jet cleaning.
