IP Ratings
We here at Cal Stage were as clueless as anybody about these ratings; but
they're more and more important every day. Most standard theatrical
fixtures don't qualify here beyond a 40. But many of the LED fixtures
on the market today have ratings that allow their use outdoors with minimal
weather protection in the short term.
The definitions below are reproduced from
Wikipedia's
IP Rating Article.
Solids, first digit
The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides
against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts)
and the ingress of solid foreign objects.
| Level |
Object size protected against |
Effective against |
| 0 |
— |
No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 |
>50 mm |
Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no
protection against deliberate contact with a body part |
| 2 |
>12.5 mm |
Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 |
>2.5 mm |
Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 |
>1 mm |
Most wires, screws, etc. |
| 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 |
Liquids, second digit
Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of
water.
| Level |
Protected against |
Details |
| 0 |
Not protected |
— |
| 1 |
Dripping water |
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect. |
| 2 |
Dripping water when tilted up to 15° |
Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the
enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position. |
| 3 |
Spraying water |
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall
have no harmful effect. |
| 4 |
Splashing water |
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no
harmful effect. |
| 5 |
Water jets |
Water projected by a nozzle against enclosure from any direction shall
have no harmful effects. |
| 6 |
Powerful water jets |
Water projected in powerful jets against the enclosure from any
direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 7 |
Immersion up to 1 m |
Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the
enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time
(up to 1 m of submersion). |
| 8 |
Immersion beyond 1 m |
The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under
conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this will
mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types
of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner
that produces no harmful effects. |
Our thanks to Wikipedia,
and it's Authors and Contributors.
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