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This light has an IP Rating - what does it all mean ?
IP rating stands for “Ingress Protection” or “International Protection”. This is a standard rating that determines how waterproof and dust / solid object proof a light fitting is.
The first digit in an IP rating refers to how dust proof a fitting is and the second digit refers to how waterproof a fitting is. With the 2 numbers combined this will determine the likelihood of any foreign objects getting into the light fitting and possibly damaging it.
Below is a table which represents the various levels of protection as well as what each number means. Generally speaking, high-end outdoor lighting will be IP rated 67 or 68, however a rating of 44 will be suitable for general outdoor use though preferably not exposed directly to heavy rain.
| 1st digit | 1st digit protection level | 2nd digit | 2nd digit protection level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection against ingress of solids | Protection against ingress of water | ||
| 0 | No Protection | 0 | No Protection |
| 1 | Protected against solid objects over 50mm in size. e.g large tools | 1 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water |
| 2 | Protected against solid objects over 12mm in size. e.g. fingers and hands | 2 | Protected against direct sprays of water with light tilted 15 degrees from vertical - light rain |
| 3 | Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm in size. e.g. wires and small tools | 3 | Protected against direct sprays of water with light tilted 60 degrees from vertical - strong rain |
| 4 | Protected against solid objects over 1mm in size. e.g wires and bugs | 4 | Protected against sprays of water from all directions - gentle spray with a hose pipe |
| 5 | Limited protection against dust ingress - harmfull amounts cant get in. | 5 | Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - strong spray with hose pipe |
| 6 | Totally protected against dust ingress - dustproof ! | 6 | Protected against strong jets of water from all directions - cleaning light with high pressure hose |
| 7 | 7 | Protected against temporary immersion in water no deeper than 50cm - bit of flooding | |
| 8 | 8 | Protected against continuous immersion in water no deeper than 100cm - pool or pond light |