Guide to IP Ratings

IP rating also known as Ingress Protection or International Protection ratings are defined in the EN 60529 standard. It defines the levels of sealing effectiveness for equipment against intrusion from dirt and moisture. This guide to IP ratings can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.

What do the numbers in an IP Rating mean? Ratings consists of the letters IP followed by two numbers, the higher the number the better the protection. Sometimes a number is replaced by X which means the equipment is not rated for that specification. An X in the code may also  denote that a rating has only been provided for one of the two ingress types (solids intrusion or moisture), but not for the other.

First Number – Solids: The first number is the level of protection that the equipment provides against the ingress of solid foreign objects e.g. tools, fingers or airborne dust that may be hazardous if in contact with internal conductors or moving parts.

Second Number – Liquids: The second number is the level of protection inside the equipment against various forms of moisture (e.g. drips, spray or submersion).