IP Ratings Explained
What each digit of an IP code means for protection against solids, dust and water.
The IP code (Ingress Protection, IEC 60529) states how well an enclosure keeps out solid objects and water. It has two digits: the first (0 to 6) is protection against solids and dust, the second (0 to 9K) is protection against water. IP65, for example, is dust tight (6) and protected against water jets (5).
The table
| Position in the code (IP + two digits) | Digit | What it means | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| First digit: solids | 0 | No protection | None |
| First digit: solids | 1 | Objects larger than 50 mm | Back of a hand |
| First digit: solids | 2 | Objects larger than 12.5 mm | A finger |
| First digit: solids | 3 | Objects larger than 2.5 mm | Tools and thick wires |
| First digit: solids | 4 | Objects larger than 1 mm | Most wires and small screws |
| First digit: solids | 5 | Dust protected: some dust may enter but not enough to interfere | Dust-protected |
| First digit: solids | 6 | Dust tight: no dust enters | Dust-tight |
| Second digit: water | 0 | No protection | None |
| Second digit: water | 1 | Vertically dripping water | Dripping |
| Second digit: water | 2 | Dripping water when tilted up to 15 degrees | Dripping, tilted |
| Second digit: water | 3 | Spraying water up to 60 degrees from vertical | Rain |
| Second digit: water | 4 | Splashing water from any direction | Splashing |
| Second digit: water | 5 | Water jets from any direction (6.3 mm nozzle, 12.5 L/min) | Hose jets |
| Second digit: water | 6 | Powerful water jets (12.5 mm nozzle, 100 L/min) | Heavy seas |
| Second digit: water | 7 | Immersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes | Temporary immersion |
| Second digit: water | 8 | Continuous immersion deeper than 1 m, as the maker states | Continuous immersion |
| Second digit: water | 9K | High-pressure, high-temperature jets (80 to 100 bar, 80 C) | Steam cleaning |
Source and notes: IEC 60529, Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code). The first digit is protection against solid objects and dust, the second against water; an X replaces a digit that was not tested, and the digits do not imply each other: IP67 does not mean IP65. For the closest NEMA equivalents (NEMA 250): NEMA 3R is about IP14, NEMA 4 and 4X about IP66, NEMA 12 about IP52, NEMA 6P about IP68, but NEMA also tests corrosion and icing.
How to use this table
- Choose the first digit by the dust and objects you must keep out, and the second by the water it will meet (rain, hose-down, immersion).
- Look up each digit in the table.
- Check the test conditions: the numbers are laboratory tests, not guarantees in service.
Worked example: choosing an enclosure for a washdown area
- The cabinet is hosed down with a powerful jet and sits in a dusty room: it needs the first digit 6 (dust tight) and the second digit at least 6 (powerful water jets).
- IP66 meets both. If it will also be cleaned with a hot high-pressure steam jet, the second digit must be 9K (IP69K).
- IP67 is not “better” than IP66 for jets: it adds temporary immersion but is not tested against powerful jets, so a cabinet needs both ratings (IP66/IP67) if it meets both.
Notes and cautions
- An “X” in place of a digit means that aspect was not rated: IPX7 is waterproof to 1 m but has no dust rating.
- The IP code does not cover corrosion, ice, explosive atmospheres or impact; for these use NEMA types in North America or IK ratings for impact.
- The closest NEMA equivalents: NEMA 3R about IP14, NEMA 4 and 4X about IP66, NEMA 12 about IP52 and NEMA 6P about IP68.
Related tools and guides
- Switches, Connectors and Protection (guide)
- System Integration (guide)
- Standard Breaker and Fuse Sizes
- All reference tables
FAQ
What does IP65 mean?
Dust tight (6) and protected against water jets from any direction (5).
What is the difference between IP67 and IP68?
IP67 is immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes; IP68 is continuous immersion deeper than that, under conditions the maker states.
Does IP67 cover IP65?
Not automatically: the digits test different things, so an IP67 product is not necessarily proven against powerful jets.
Sources
- IEC 60529 (degrees of protection provided by enclosures) and ISO 20653 (road vehicles, IP9K); NEMA 250 for the NEMA enclosure types.
- IEC 60529, Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code). The first digit is protection against solid objects and dust, the second against water; an X replaces a digit that was not tested, and the digits do not imply each other: IP67 does not mean IP65. For the closest NEMA equivalents (NEMA 250): NEMA 3R is about IP14, NEMA 4 and 4X about IP66, NEMA 12 about IP52, NEMA 6P about IP68, but NEMA also tests corrosion and icing.