Ingress protection shields equipment inside an enclosure against solid objects, dust and water. Varying degrees of protection are represented by a numeric system known as IP ratings. This system follows the format IP## where ## is a combination of numerals. The first digit following IP identifies the level of protection against solid objects, including dust. The second digit is the level of protection against various forms of moisture.
| IP | 6 | 9 |
| Ingress Protection | First digit: Protection against solids | Second digit: Protection against moisture |
IP Rating Examples, Explained
The below list of IP ratings is organized from the highest level of ingress protection to the lowest.
| IP69K | Dust tight and withstands high-pressure, high-temperature water (K designates resistance to high-pressure water) |
| IP68 | Dust tight and protects against water while submerged at 15 meters deep |
| IP67 | Dust tight and protects against water while submerged at one meter deep |
| IP66* | Dust tight and protects against high-pressure water projected from any direction |
| IP65 | Dust tight and protects against low-pressure water projected from any direction |
| IP64 | Dust tight and protects against splashed water |
|
|
*NEMA Type 4 and Type 4X are equivalent to IP66 |