Fixture Trim IP Ratings

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bphgravity

Senior Member
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Florida
I have recently come across IP ratings listed on specs for recessed trims. Is this something that is of any concern for installation or code enforcement.


IP Rating: The resistance offered by the fixture to the penetration of solids and liquids is indicated by the prefix ?IP? (International Protection) followed by two numbers. The first number identifies the degree of protection against solids; the second number signifies the degree of protection against liquids.

IP 20 Protected against solids larger than 12 mm; not protected against liquids.

IP 40 Protected against solids larger than 1 mm; not protected against liquids.

IP 55 Protected against dust and protected against jets of water from all directions.

IP 65 Completely protected against dust and protected against jets of water from all directions, i.e. waterproof.
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Bryan, the IP standards are predominately "rest of the world"; I see them used on Eurotpean and Asian EQUIPMENT regularly. But we (I'm in South Carolina) are finding them on more and more domestic equpment. BTW, the more current term is Ingress Protection. For one of many references (Google is your friend), http://www.rlws.com/LIT/load-cells/IP_ratings.html has good data.

As an Inspector, I doubt any need for your concern exists. As a designer, implementor, purchaser, I have interest. For exmple, Garmin, a "personal" GPS manufacturer, puts the ratings on their portable and marine units. IP67 says that accidental drops in the water are (should be) ok. If I'm designing a control panel, IP55 is similar to NEMA 12. If I bought a NEMA 12 enclosure and assembled it properly, I would tell interested users that it offered IP55 pretection.

Only if a building code or electrical code specified it, or if an architect/engineer specified it and you were confirming specification conpliance would I see it as an inspection issue.
 
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