IP Ratings Applicable for Liquid Ingress in Household Items:
Now, we have discussed the importance of the first digit in the IP ratings, we will now discuss the importance of the second digit. The second digit discusses the enclosures’ capability to protect equipment from water ingress. However, it is important to note that this rating only deals with clean water and not any type of liquid or harmful chemicals in general. This rating has a nine-point scale. Where “0” means no protection from liquid ingress and “8” is completely waterproof. The IP rating of “8” means that the enclosure can be submerged in water.
Taking our previous example, the television casing has provisions for hole openings found on sides and bottom. And a user can find the limited number of slots on the top of television case that are engineered to create a small overlap. With the IP rating for liquid ingress, television cases can withstand any minor water ingress and water will not enter the television case.
However, it is important to note that television cases are designed for indoor use. It cannot be used for environments where there is high presence of moist in the air. In case of household places, these are bathrooms, kitchens, or outdoor spaces. When water is sprayed on the enclosures with low protection form water ingress, liquid is possible to get in. For television case, it has an IP rating of “2” for liquid ingress. In summary it has an IP rating of IP22.
In case of television remote controls, it doesn’t have any slots or vents compared to television cases. It is well sealed and sides are well-fitted. Even though there are hole provisions for the buttons, water will not get in in case of accidental water splashes. However, certainly it cannot be submerged in water. Also, even if the battery compartment is well fitted, it is not gasketed or even sealed.
With this in mind, in case the remote control is continuously sprayed with water for 1-2 minutes, the water will start entering and seep inside the casing. With our previous example, the remote control will have an IP rating of IP53. It has high protection from solid ingress but it only provides partial protection from water ingress.
For the smartphones example, users can clean their smartphones under the running water. If in case the user forgets to take out his phone when he goes for a dip in the pool, the water will still not get inside the mobile phone. Even if it is submerged for half an hour, there will be no issue of water ingress as long as it is submerged up to five feet deep.
How Important is the Use of IP Ratings?
These IP ratings are powerful because it gives the users the knowledge of protection an enclosure can provide to any electronics. These are essential in giving the users a universal and good description of any enclosures’ capabilities.