IP Rating — Ingress Protection
Definition
The IP code (International Protection, often read as Ingress Protection), defined by IEC 60529, rates the protection of an enclosure against solid objects and water with two digits. The first digit, from 0 to 6, covers solid objects and dust, and the second, from 0 to 9, covers water. Common ratings in AV are IP20 (protection against fingers, none against water, for indoor use), IP44 (splashing water from any direction), IP65 (dust-tight, low-pressure water jets), IP66 (powerful water jets) and IP67 (dust-tight, temporary immersion tested at 1 m for 30 minutes). In North America, enclosures are also rated to the NEMA 250 types, which do not correspond exactly to IP codes. For outdoor festivals in variable weather, IP65 or higher is commonly specified for fixtures exposed to rain.
In the field
An IP44 fixture is protected against splashing water, but not against the jets and sustained driving rain it can meet outdoors. The rating applies to the product as delivered, with its covers and seals in place, and past outdoor use does not make an indoor fixture suitable for it. Seals are inspected after wet events, and salt air near the coast is reported to degrade seals and contacts faster than fresh water.
Sources
- IEC, Ingress Protection (IP) ratings : IEC 60529 ; premier chiffre de 0 à 6 (corps solides, poussière), second de 0 à 9 (eau, jusqu'à l'eau chaude à haute pression) · iec.ch
- Intertek, IP Testing per IEC 60529 : essais IP des produits d'éclairage ; premier chiffre de 0 à 6, second de 0 à 9 · intertek.com
- Getac, IP Ratings Explained : IP65 jets à basse pression (buse 6,3 mm), IP66 jets puissants (12,5 mm), IP67 immersion 1 m pendant 30 min · getac.com
- NEMA, NEMA Enclosure Types : types d'enveloppes nord-américains selon la NEMA 250 ; le tableau de comparaison avec l'IEC 60529 ne permet pas de convertir un code IP en type NEMA · nema.org
- IP code (Wikipedia, pointeur secondaire), tableau des chiffres IEC 60529 : IP2X contre les doigts, IPX4 projections d'eau de toutes directions, IPX7 immersion jusqu'à 1 m pendant 30 min · en.wikipedia.org