Power Supply IP Ratings Explained
There is a misconception that an IP67 rating on a power supply means that it can be submersed in water.
This is absolutely not the case.
Some MEAN WELL power supplies and LED drivers have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating stated in their data sheet. If there is none mentioned then assume that the power supply is only suited to use in a clean indoor environment.
The IP rating number indicates what level of ingress protection the power supply or LED driver has been tested to.
The IP rating number consist of 2 digits. The first is the solids (dust) ingress rating, the second is the liquid ingress protection rating.
The below chart shows the definitions of each of the numbers used to make up the IP rating.
| IP | Solid Protection | IP | Liquid Protection |
| 1 | Protection against a solid object thicker than 50mm, such as a hand. | 1 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 2 | Protection against a solid object thicker than 12.5mm, such as a hand. | 2 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water, with enclosure tilted at 15° from vertical. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 3 | Protection against a solid object thicker than 2.5mm, such as a screwdriver. | 3 | Protected against sprays to 60° from the vertical. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 4 | Protection against a solid object thicker than 1mm, such as a wire. | 4 | Protected against water splashing from all directions. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 5 | Dust protected. Limited ingress of dust permitted. | 5 | Protected against jets of water. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 6 | Dust tight. Zero ingress of dust permitted. | 6 | Protected against strong jets of water. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 7 | Protected against the effects of immersion between 15cm and 1m. (Test duration: 30 mins). | ||
| 8 | Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure. |
An IP67 LED driver or power supply will be completely resistant to dust ingress and has been tested to withstand immersion in water up to a depth of 1 metre.
It is important to note that the power supply only has to offer this protection for a minimum of 30 minutes. It is inadvisable to assume that an IP67 LED driver could be permanently submerged underwater without any risk of water penetrating into the internal electronics of the LED driver.
IP67 LED drivers and power supplies are perfectly safe to use outdoors, where they may be exposed to rain. However, please note that they should not be mounted in direct sunlight. This could lead to them overheating, which has the potential to cause a failure that would not be covered by the manufactuer's warranty.
If you have any questions about IP rate power supplies than please contact Power Supplies Australia and speak to one of our expert team.
