It is important to make sure you are investing in the right outdoor lighting and landscape lighting fixtures. These means checking the IP rating.
What does IP stand for? Ingress Protection or International Protection ratings are defined in international standard EN 60529. They are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (tools, dirt etc) and moisture. The standards consist of the letters IP followed by two digits; the first referring to solid particle protection and the second to water ingress protection.
Common IP Ratings
IP20 - Protected against touch by fingers
IP22 - Protected against vertically falling drops of water e.g. rain
IP23 - Protected against spray up to 60o from vertical
IP24 - Protected against splash water from any direction
IP44 - Protected against splash water from any direction. Protected against rain
IP54 - Protected against dust. Protected against splash water from any direction
IP55 - Protected against dust. Protected against low pressure jets of water from any direction
IP56 - Protected against dust. Protected against high pressure jets of water
IP65 - Total protection against dust. Protected against low pressure jets of water from any direction
IP66 - Total protection against dust. Protected against high pressure jets of water
IP67 - Total protection against dust. Protection against immersion in water up to 1m depth
IP68 - Total protection against dust. Protection beyond 1m depth subject to agreed conditions
What do the numbers mean?
The first digit of the IP code indicates the level of protection that an enclosure offers against access to hazardous parts and the ingress of solid foreign objects.
0 = no protection
1 = protected against any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a finger or similar object
2 = protected against fingers or similar objects
3 = protected against tools, wires etc. with a diameter greater than 2.5mm
4 = protected against tools, wires etc. with a diameter greater than 1mm
5 = 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
The second digit of the IP code indicates the level of protection that an enclosure offers against harmful ingress of water.
0 = no protection
1 = protected against vertically falling drops of water e.g. rain
2 = protected against direct sprays up to 15o from the vertical
3 = protected against direct sprays up to 60o from the vertical
4 = protected against splash water from any direction
5 = protected against low pressure jets of water from any direction
6 = protected against high pressure jets of water from any direction
7 = protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water
8 = protected against long periods of immersion under pressure
So, when choosing light fixtures for a particular area, it is important to consider what IP rating is required. For example, if the light fixture is going to be installed in a bathroom, then it will need to have at least an IP44 rating in order to be protected against splash water. When choosing outdoor light fixtures, it is also important to consider the potential hazards that might be present in the environment. For example, if there is a possibility of flammable vapors or dust being present, then light fixtures with an appropriate IP rating should be chosen in order to minimize the risk of fire or explosion.
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47 Broad St.
Red Bank NJ 07701