IP66 Certified–What Does IP66 Mean

IP66 Certified

IP code

The IP code, or ingress protection code, defines how much effective a product is about its sealing electrical enclosures from the intrusion of dirt and moisture. It is a globally recognised coding system defined by international standards (EN 60529) which was developed from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The numbers following ‘IP’ dictate the level of protection provided against certain materials; the first digit represents the intrusion protection degree from dust/solids and the second shows the moisture protection from liquid ingression.

Each digit is rated by the following scale, with the scale increasing with level of protection.

In example:

· IP65 Enclosure - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against water projected from a nozzle.

· IP66 Enclosure - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against heavy seas or powerful jets of water.

· IP 67 Enclosures - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against immersion.

At this point, you could ask “Which is appropriate for my application, an IP65 or IP66 enclosure?”. The answer depends on the application that you’ll use the enclosure for.

Both IP65 and IP66 ratings provide excellent protection against solid ingress from dust, dirt, and debris. The main difference between IP65 and IP66 ratings is their level of protection against liquid ingress. An IP66 enclosure can handle a significantly higher level of pressurized water spray, from larger nozzles and at higher kPa ratings.

Thus, the main question you should ask when choosing between IP65 and IP66 enclosures is whether your device will encounter jets of high-pressure water. If your device needs protection against high-pressure water jets, an IP66 enclosure is likely the correct choice. But if your device is unlikely to encounter pressurized water spray, considering IP65 enclosures as an option can give you more choices in your search for the right enclosure.

This is the scale defined by IEC:

IP first digit (dust):

0. No protection
1. Protection for solid object over 50 mm.
2. Protection for solid object over 12 mm.
3. Protection for solid object over 2.5 mm.
4. Protection for solid object over 1 mm.
5. Protection with respect to limited dust.
6. Complete protection against dust.

IP second digit (water):

0. No protection
1. Protection for vertically falling drips.
2. Protection for spray of water up to 15° vertically.
3. Protection for spray of water up to 60° vertically.
4. Protection for spray of water from all direction.
5. Protection for low pressure jet of water from all direction.
6. Protection for high pressure jet of water from all direction.
7. Protection for continuous submersion between 15 cm to 1m.
8. Protection for long time immersion under pressure.

Spark’s integrated solar street light reach IP66 rating. It can work well in bad weather. With Spark, our outdoor street light can produce more light than traditional electric lights while using fewer lighting fixtures.