Ingress Protection: Water Jets and Powerful Water Jets Tests (IPX5 & IPX6)

Ingress protection testing tests the level of protection an enclosure provides against intrusions. Two such sets of ingress protection tests involve exposing the equipment under test (EUT), to water jets and powerful water jets. These tests are numbered IPX5 and IPX6. The first digit, represented by the “X”, ranges from 0 to 6 and specifies the protection from solid particles. The second digit, in the case of water jets, would always be a 5, and in the case of powerful water jets, would always be a 6. Therefore, IP55 vs IP56 differ because one uses water jets and the other uses powerful water jets. 

Below is a brief description of IPX5 and IPX6 testing as detailed in IEC 60529:

IPX5 Water Jet Testing:

• Defined as water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm).
• The requirement is that the equipment under test (EUT), shall experience no harmful effects from the water being sprayed against the enclosure from any direction.
• The test details include a test duration of at least three minutes, water volume of 12.5 liters per minute and pressure of 30 kN/m² at distance of three meters.

IPX6 Powerful Water Jet Testing:

• Defined as water projected by a nozzle (12.5mm).
• The requirement is that the equipment under test (EUT), shall experience no harmful effects from the water being sprayed against the enclosure from any direction.
• The test details include a test duration of at least three minutes, water volume of 100 liters per minute and pressure of 100 kN/m² at distance of three meters.

For a complete list of all of the possible IPX5 and IPX6 ingress protection code combinations from IEC 60529, please see the chart at the bottom of this page.

What sets Keystone Compliance’s IPX5 water jet and IPX6 powerful water jet testing apart is our experience in helping manufacturers determine ingress points in their products and also identifying potential solutions. We also have significant expertise in interpreting the standards, which often provides manufacturers with flexibility in determining acceptable amounts of ingress. Just because some liquid may enter an enclosure, does not automatically mean that the unit has not met the requirements. If the unit that requires testing is too large to move, no problem. We have experience completing ingress protection testing at the customer’s facilities.

Why is Keystone Compliance the right IP Code lab to complete your ingress testing? Our customers enjoy our short lead times, ability to explain the process and testing requirements, consultative engineering support when failures occur and affordable pricing. It is what has made us one of the fastest growing companies in the country and most respected test labs in the region.

Contact us to receive a quote for ingress protection testing and see why we are the only ingress protection lab for so many manufacturers from around the country.

Below is a list of all of the IPX5 and IPX6 IP Code combinations along with a brief description of each test: