An IP code says what an enclosure kept out when it was tested to IEC 60529. The first digit covers solid objects and dust, the second covers water. IP44 keeps out objects of 1 mm or more and survives water splashed from any direction, which is what a board in the rain needs. IP54 adds dust protection. IP65 is dust-tight and survives water jets. IP67 is dust-tight and survives temporary immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes. Two catches matter on site. The code only holds in the tested state, with lids shut, plugs fully in and no new holes drilled. And IP67 does not include jet washing unless the product is also marked IP65 or IP66.
STAT
A hose is a far harsher test than rain. In the test behind water digit 6, the enclosure took 100 litres of water a minute for 3 minutes. The splash test behind digit 4 used 10 litres a minute, a tenth of the flow, according to enclosure maker Bopla’s summary of DIN EN 60529. Source: Bopla, Technical Information: Protection classes (PDF)
Key takeaways
| Topic | In brief |
|---|---|
| First digit | Solids and dust, 0 to 6. 5 is dust-protected, 6 is dust-tight. |
| Second digit | Water, 0 to 9. 4 is splashing, 5 and 6 are jets, 7 and 8 are immersion, 9 is hot high-pressure water. |
| Not a ladder | IPX7 or IPX8 alone says nothing about jets. Look for a double marking such as IP66/IP67. |
| Tested state | Lids closed, plugs fully inserted, enclosure as supplied. |
| UK duty | Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: kit exposed to weather, wet or dust must be protected against it. |
How do you read an IP code?
IP stands for ingress protection. The code is defined in IEC 60529, adopted in Europe as EN 60529. Component maker Schurter puts its purpose simply: more detail than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.
The first digit, 0 to 6, covers two things: fingers and tools kept away from live parts, and solid objects and dust kept out. The second digit, 0 to 9, covers water only. Where the maker has no data for a digit, it is replaced with an X, so IPX4 says nothing about dust.
A first digit can only be claimed if every lower level is also met. The second digit works the same way up to 6, and then the pattern breaks.
What do IP44, IP54, IP65 and IP67 mean on site?
Test figures from Bopla’s summary of DIN EN 60529. The last column is our guidance, not the standard’s.
| Code | Solids and dust | Water | Test behind the water digit | Typical place on a site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP44 | Objects of 1.0 mm or more | Splashing from any direction | 10 l/min, 5 min | Boards, sockets and reels in rain |
| IP54 | Dust-protected | Splashing from any direction | 10 l/min, 5 min | Dusty fit-out work, plus weather |
| IP65 | Dust-tight | Water jets | 12.5 l/min, 3 min | Luminaires and kit that gets hosed down |
| IP66 | Dust-tight | Powerful water jets | 100 l/min, 3 min | Kit cleaned at full hose flow |
| IP67 | Dust-tight | Temporary immersion | 1 m deep, 30 min | Connectors and lights that may sit in water |
| IP68 | Dust-tight | Continuous immersion | Agreed with the maker, harsher than IPX7 | Equipment that stays under water |
IP44 is common on site distribution kit. In October 2026, TSR’s product pages listed IP44 for the TSR-MAG portable board, the TSR HUB63 sub-distribution board, the MHUB 250 A main board, a 16 A cable reel and a 16 A three-way splitter.
IP44 is a splash rating: water arriving from any direction, as blown rain and dripping snowmelt do. Water pooling around the base of a board is a different load. TSR’s advice on the TSR-MAG page was to hang the board under a shelter for long-term outdoor storage.
The dust digit matters indoors. Bopla defines 5, dust-protected, as dust not entering in a quantity that stops the equipment working satisfactorily or impairs safety. Only 6, dust-tight, keeps it out entirely. TSR’s D-5050 LED work light was listed at IP54 in October 2026.
Is IP67 better than IP65?
For immersion, yes. For jets, IP67 alone tells you nothing. Up to 6, each water digit includes the ones below it. Digits 7, 8 and 9 are separate tests.
Schurter states that a device compliant with IPX7 need not be compliant with IPX5 or IPX6. Bopla calls an enclosure marked only with 7, 8 or 9K unsuitable for water jets. A product that passes both carries both codes, such as IP66/IP67, and that is the marking to ask for when kit will be jet-washed.
This matters for hire fleets. If returned kit is cleaned at the depot, the rating has to cover the cleaning as well as the site. Digit 9 is the washdown digit: Bopla describes its test as hot water at high pressure from a flat jet nozzle.
Why does a socket’s IP rating depend on its lid?
Sockets are rated in a defined state. IPD’s technical notes for its IEC 60309 range said IP67 testing was done on sockets with the lid closed or a plug fully inserted, and on plugs fully inserted into a socket. An open, empty socket is outside that state.
Mennekes’ guidance, read in October 2026, said all CEE plugs and sockets must meet IP44 or IP67, and the 100 A and 125 A sizes always IP67. It also said a conventional Schuko socket reaches IP44 only when its hinged lid is fully closed.
On site that comes down to three habits:
- Lids shut on unused outlets. TSR’s D-5050 page, for a work light with its own socket, gave the same advice.
- Plugs fully home. On IP67 connectors that includes the locking ring, which IPD described as a bayonet coupling.
- Both halves rated. A connection is tested as a mated pair, so check the plug and the socket.
When does an IP-rated enclosure stop being IP-rated?
Bopla’s note is blunt: the degrees of protection refer to unmachined enclosures as supplied. The tests ignore ageing, so the rating cannot be guaranteed for the enclosure’s life. Outdoors, temperature changes can cause a pressure drop that draws moisture in through the seals. The IP tests do not account for those changes, so read the operating temperature too.
On a site board the list is familiar: a hole drilled for an extra cable gland, a lost blanking plug, a cracked socket lid, a perished door seal, a door left ajar. Each takes the board out of the state the code describes. Check lids and seals whenever a board is moved, and again at off-hire.
In Great Britain, regulation 6 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires equipment that may reasonably foreseeably be exposed to the weather, to wet, dirty, dusty or corrosive conditions, or to mechanical damage, to be built or protected to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable. The IP code is how a datasheet states protection against water and dust. For the wider specification, see how to specify temporary power distribution for a UK site.
Datasheet checklist: seven lines to read
- Both digits. An X means no data for that digit.
- Double markings. For jet washing and immersion, IP65/IP67 or IP66/IP67.
- The tested state. Lid closed, plug inserted, glands and blanking plugs fitted.
- Assembly or component. A board can carry IP67 sockets in an IP44 enclosure. Ask which figure covers the whole unit.
- Protection class. Some datasheets print the IP code under "protection class". On others it means the shock-protection class under IEC 61140, which Mennekes lists as 0 to 3: 1 is protective earthing, 2 double insulation, 3 protective extra-low voltage. The D-5050 page listed both: IP54, and protection class I.
- IK rating. Impact resistance under IEC 62262. Bopla gives IK08 as up to 5 joules and IK10 as up to 20 joules. TSR listed the D-5050 at IK08.
- Operating temperature. A separate line. TSR’s 16 A splitter page gave -25 °C to +40 °C in October 2026.
Summary
IP44 covers rain on boards, sockets and reels, IP54 adds dust protection, IP65 and IP66 cover jets, and IP67 covers temporary immersion without covering jets. The code describes the enclosure as supplied, with lids shut and plugs fully in, so seals, lids and new holes decide whether it still applies months into a project. TSR-Elsite supplies plug-in site distribution boards and worksite lighting with the IP rating stated on each product page. To discuss a specification, contact us: sales@tsr-elsite.fi or +358 9 4555 588.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What does IP44 mean?
Solid objects of 1.0 mm or more are kept out, and water splashed from any direction does no harm. In Bopla’s summary of the test, that is a spray nozzle at 10 litres a minute for 5 minutes.
Is IP44 enough for a site distribution board outdoors?
It is made for splashing water, which is what rain does. It is not tested against jets or immersion, so keep boards out of pooled water and do not jet-wash them.
What is the difference between IP65 and IP67?
Both are dust-tight. An IP65 product has passed a water jet test, an IP67 product immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes. IP67 does not include IP65 unless the product is marked with both.
Will IP67 equipment survive a pressure washer?
Not on the strength of IP67 alone. Schurter states that an IPX7 device need not comply with IPX5 or IPX6. Look for a 5 or 6 in the marking as well, such as IP66/IP67.
What does the X in IPX4 mean?
The maker has no data for that digit. IPX4 rates splashing water and makes no claim about dust.
Does a socket keep its IP rating with the lid open?
No. Sockets are rated with the lid closed or a plug fully inserted. Mennekes notes that a Schuko socket reaches IP44 only with its hinged lid fully closed.
Is protection class the same as IP rating?
No. The IP code covers dust and water. Protection class under IEC 61140 describes how the user is protected from electric shock. IP44 is an IP code, and "I" is a protection class.
Sources
- Bopla, Technical Information: Protection classes, after DIN EN 60529 (PDF)
- Bopla, Impact resistance (IK code, IEC 62262)
- Schurter, IP and IK value
- Mennekes, IP protective types and protection classes
- IPD, IEC 309 industrial switchgear technical notes
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
TSR-Elsite. Published 16.10.2026.