Dear Peter,

It’s vital to keep your electrical equipment safe with an enclosure, but selecting the right level of protection is just as important. Too little protection can result in damage or unsafe conditions, while too much can result in excessive cost or impaired performance.

Ingress protection (IP) ratings are defined by the international standard IEC 60529 and consist of two numbers. The first indicates protection against solid objects like dust and ranges from no protection at IP0X to dust-tight at IP6X. The second number relates to liquid protection which also starts at 0 but goes up to 9K which represents protection against powerful high-temperature water jets.

To determine the most suitable IP rating for your application, you should assess its location for potential threats to your electrical equipment. Appropriate solid protection depends on numerous factors including how dusty the area is and whether the enclosure will be in a high-traffic area or exposed to frequent contact. The more hazardous the environment, the higher rating you are likely to need.

Many indoor enclosures are used in areas with normal humidity levels that are rarely exposed to water droplets or splashes; in this case, a low second digit is likely to be appropriate. For outdoor enclosures or those likely to be exposed to high-pressure jets or immersed in water, you should select a more robust enclosure and ensure appropriate glands are used to maintain the protection level.

Our video guide to IP ratings and functional protective elements explains how to identify the right rating for your application. Spelsberg offers a broad range of enclosures for a wide variety of uses including watertight solutions for permanent submersion up to fifteen metres.

All Spelsberg enclosure ratings are certified by our in-house testing laboratory in accordance with VDE standards. You can learn more about our industry-leading IP testing procedures on our website.

If you have additional questions on IP rating or have specific requirements for your intended application, please feel free to send me a private message where I’d be happy to discuss your specific requirements.

Kind Regards,

Chris