IP Rating Calculator — BS EN 60529

IP stands for Ingress Protection, defined by BS EN 60529. The code has two digits: the first (0-6) indicates protection against solid objects (dust, fingers, etc.), and the second (0-8) indicates protection against water. For example, IP65 means dust-tight and protected against water jets. The higher the number, the greater the protection. An 'X' in place of a digit means that characteristic was not tested.

BS 7671 does not set a single blanket IP number by location — the requirement is derived from the Appendix 5 external-influence codes (AD water, AE foreign bodies) for the actual installation. As typical trade conventions: an exposed outdoor location (rain, splashing) is usually IP44; high-pressure cleaning or powerful jets calls for IP65 or IP66; equipment buried underground or permanently submerged is IP68 (Reg 522.8.10). Sheltered outdoor locations under a porch or canopy may only need IP23. Bathrooms (Section 701) and swimming pools (Section 702) have their own mandated zone minimums — see the relevant FAQ.

Both are dust-tight (first digit 6). IP65 protects against water jets from a 6.3mm nozzle at 12.5L/min — suitable for outdoor equipment exposed to rain and hose-down cleaning. IP67 protects against temporary immersion at 1m depth for 30 minutes — suitable for equipment that may be temporarily submerged (e.g., ground-level junction boxes that could flood). IP67 is NOT rated for permanent submersion — that requires IP68.

Yes — per BS 7671 Section 701: Zone 0 (inside bath/shower) requires IPX7 (temporary immersion). Zone 1 (above bath to 2.25m) requires IPX4 minimum (splash-proof), or IPX5 if high-pressure water jets are used. Zone 2 (0.6m from Zone 1) requires IPX4 minimum. Outside zones — no specific IP requirement, but IPX4 is good practice for any bathroom fitting due to steam and condensation. Use our Bathroom Zone Calculator to determine which zone your fitting is in.

Per BS 7671 Section 702: Zone 0 (the basin interior, where equipment is permanently submerged) requires IPX8. Zone 1 (the immediate poolside) requires IPX4, or IPX5 where water jets are used for cleaning. Zone 2 requires IPX2 for indoor pools and IPX4 for outdoor pools (IPX5 if jet-cleaned). Note IPX8 is a continuous-immersion test regime that is distinct from the IPX7 temporary-immersion test — a Zone 0 luminaire must be specifically rated and listed for permanent submersion, not merely IPX7.

An 'X' indicates that the equipment has not been tested for that particular protection type. IPX4 means the water protection (second digit) is rated at 4 (splash-proof) but the solid protection (first digit) was not rated. This is common for bathroom fittings where water protection is the critical factor. The X does NOT mean zero protection — it simply means no specific test was performed. For a complete rating, both digits should be specified.