{"id":3702,"date":"2026-10-29T14:14:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sumbermurah.com\/blog\/?p=3702"},"modified":"2026-10-29T14:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:14:42","slug":"what-is-the-by-ip-rating-for-lighting-fixtures-4a06-25654d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sumbermurah.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/29\/what-is-the-by-ip-rating-for-lighting-fixtures-4a06-25654d\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the By IP Rating for lighting fixtures?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, let\u2019s talk about something that confused me big time when I first started working in the lighting supply game: that random \u201cIP rating\u201d you see on light fixtures. At first, I thought it was just another box to check on a spec sheet, but now? It\u2019s the whole reason certain lights work (and don\u2019t die) in places like gym locker rooms, outdoor patios, or even your grandma\u2019s steamy bathroom. Let\u2019s break this down like we\u2019re chatting over coffee\u2014no stuffy engineering jargon, promise. By IP Rating<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, what even is \u201cIP\u201d? Stands for Ingress Protection, basically a global code that tells you how well a light fixture is sealed up against two things: solid stuff (dirt, dust, bugs) and liquid (water, soda spills, rain, you name it). It\u2019s a two-digit number, right? First digit = solid protection, second = liquid. I still remember the first time a customer asked me to explain these digits, I blanked on the second one\u2014turns out I\u2019d just been copying specs for years without really getting it.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the first digit because that\u2019s usually simpler to wrap your head around. It goes from 0 to 6. A 0 means zero protection against solids\u2014so that light\u2019s basically wide open to dust bunnies, bugs, whatever floats (or falls) its way. A 6 is the gold standard for solids: totally dust-tight. No tiny dirt particles can sneak in at all. I once sold a $20 IP65 outdoor light to a guy who was replacing his cheap IP20 ones in a construction zone. He came back a month later and told me his old lights looked like they\u2019d been buried in a sandpit\u2014dust everywhere, dim enough that he couldn\u2019t see to carry tools. That\u2019s the first digit mattering right there.<\/p>\n

Now the second digit, that\u2019s the one that trips most people up. It\u2019s about liquid, and it goes from 0 to 8. 0 means no liquid protection at all\u2014these are indoor lights only, like the ones above your kitchen cabinet that never see a drop of water. A 1 means just protected against falling vertical drops, like condensation in a bathroom. A 5 is a big one for outdoor stuff: protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction. That\u2019s why I recommend IP65 for most patio lights or storefront lights\u2014they can handle light rain, splashes from a sprinkler, even a stray hose if you\u2019re washing the sidewalk. Then there\u2019s 8, which is submersible\u2014those are the lights you\u2019d use in a fountain or a swimming pool, totally fine being fully underwater for extended periods.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: I\u2019ve seen way too many people pick the wrong IP rating, and it\u2019s a waste of money for everyone. Like, a customer tried to put an IP20 light above their garage door last spring. Guess what? We had a random thunderstorm, water seeped in, and the light died in two days. He came screaming back, but it was totally on him\u2014IP20 is for indoor dry areas, not outdoor. On the flip side, I don\u2019t want someone overspending on an IP68 light for a kid\u2019s bedroom ceiling. That\u2019s like buying a rain jacket to walk to the mailbox\u2014total overkill. My job as a supplier is to match the light\u2019s IP exactly to where it\u2019s going, no extra cost for stuff you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n

Wait, also, there\u2019s a little asterisk with IP ratings, right? They\u2019re tested in controlled lab conditions, not real life. A light rated IP65 can handle a steady rain for hours, but if you blast it with a pressure washer at 2000 PSI, that\u2019s way more than the test jets, so it might leak. I always warn customers about that\u2014don\u2019t abuse the rating, use it as a guide, not a free pass for careless cleaning.<\/p>\n

Another common misconception: IP ratings are only for outdoor lights. Nope! I\u2019ve got clients putting IP44 lights in restaurant kitchens to handle all the grease and steam from deep fryers, IP54 lights in gyms to handle sweat and cleaning spray on the walls, even IP23 lights for office hallways that might get spilled coffee on the floor sometimes. That\u2019s the beauty of it\u2014every space has different hazards, and the IP code is the easiest way to pick a light that\u2019ll hold up.<\/p>\n

Let me give you a quick cheat sheet I keep in my back pocket for new customers, no jargon:<\/p>\n