Limit and Enclosed Switches

Degree of Protection

Honeywell Sensing and Control 1-800-537-6945 USA

1-815-235-6847 International 1-800-737-3360 Canada

A13

IP Classification

The IEC 529 standard describes a system for classifying the degree

of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment.

The level of protection given by the enclosure is indicated by the IP

code.

This code system uses the letters ‘‘IP’’ (International Protection)

followed by up to four digits. Normally only the first two digits are

used.

IP

1st

Digit

2nd

Digit

3rd

Digit

4th

Digit

The first digit is numerical and indicates the level of protection within

the enclosure against the ingress of solid foreign objects and ac-

cess to hazardous parts by persons.

The second digit is also numerical and indicates the level of protec-

tion against the ingress of WATER into the enclosure.

The third digit is a letter and indicates a higher level of protection for

persons against access to hazardous parts.

The fourth digit is also a letter and is used in exceptional cases for

supplementary information.

If the first or second digit is not required to be specified, then it is

replaced by the letter ‘‘X’’ (‘‘XX’’ if both digits are not required).

While the tables below serve as a guide to the level of protection,

Honeywell recommends that customers refer to the full official IEC

specification for the exact definitions. If in doubt about the degree of

protection required for a particular application, please consult your

local Honeywell office.

Note:

The IEC 529 standard does not relate to protection against rust,

corrosion, icing or corrosive solvents (e.g. cutting fluids) and that

product coded IP 67 may not necessarily meet IP 66 requirements.

First Digit

Protection against ingress of solid objects

IP

TEST

0

no protection

1

protected against solid objects with a diameter greater

than 50 mm.

2

protected against solid objects with a diameter greater

than 12 mm.

3

protected against solid objects with a diameter greater

than 2.5 mm.

4

protected against solid objects with a diameter greater

than 1 mm.

5

protected against dust-limited ingress (no harmful

deposit)

6

totally protected against dust

Second Digit

Protection against ingress of water

IP

TEST

0

no protection

1

protected against vertically falling drops of water.

2

protected against vertically falling drops of water when

the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees.

3

protected against water sprayed at an angle of 60

degrees from the vertical

4

protected against splashing water from all directions –

limited ingress (no harmful effects)

5

protected against low pressure jets of water from all

directions – limited ingress permitted

6

protected against powerful jets of water from all

directions – limited ingress permitted

7

protected against the effects of temporary immersion in

water

8

protected against the effects of continuous immersion in

water

NEMA Classification (USA)

NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association) pre-

pares standards which define a product, process or procedure with

reference to one or more of the following: nomenclature, composi-

tion, construction, dimensions, tolerances, safety, operating char-

acteristics, performance, quality, electrical rating, testing and the

service for which designed.

This standard provides degrees of protection for Enclosures for

Electrical Equipement (1000 Volts Maximum) similar to that of the

IEC 529 standard. The reference standard herein reflects the latest

data in the NEMA Standards Publication when this information went

to print.

Non-hazardous locations

Type1enclosures are intended for indoor use primarily to provide a

degree of protection against contact with the enclosed equipment.

Type 3 enclosures are intended for outdoor use primarily to pro-

vide a degree of protection against windblown dust, rain, sleet, and

external ice formation.

Type 4 enclosures are intended for indoor or outdoor use primarily

to provide a degree of protection against windblown dust and rain,

splashing water, and hose-directed water.

Type 4X enclosures are intended for indoor or outdoor use primar-

ily to provide a degree of protection against corrosion, windblown

dust and rain, splashing water, and hose-directed water.

Type 6 enclosures are intended for indoor or outdoor use primarily

to provide a degree of protection against the entry of water during

occasional temporary submersion at a limited depth.

Type 6P enclosures are intended for indoor or outdoor use primar-

ily to provide a degree of protection against the entry of water during

prolonged submersion at a limited depth.

Type12 enclosures are intended for indoor use primarily to provide

a degree of protection against dust, falling dirt, and dripping non-

corrosive liquids.

Type13 enclosures are intended for indoor use primarily to provide

a degree of protection against dust, spraying water, oil and non-

corrosive coolant.

Note: Enclosures are based, in general, on the broad definitions

outlined in NEMA Standards. Therefore, it will be necessary to

ascertain that a particular enclosure will be adequate when exposed

to the specific conditions that might exist in intended applications.

Except as might otherwise be noted, all references to products

relative to NEMA enclosure type are based on Honeywell evaluation

and Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) tested.

This NEMA Standards Publication does test for environmental con-

ditions such as corrosion, rust, icing, oil, and coolants. The IEC 529

does not, and does not specify degree of protection against me-

chanical damage of equipment. For this reason, and because the

tests and evaluations for other characteristics are not identical, the

IEC Enclosure Classification Designations cannot be exactly equa-

ted with NEMA Enclosure Type Numbers.