You may have seen the letters IP followed by a two digit number next to a range of electrical goods, including our heaters. What does this handy number mean?
In short, the IP rating stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ rating. Simply put, this number lets you see at a glance how resistant an object is to the elements. Typically, this is used to tell how waterproof it is, but it will also tell you how protected it is from foreign objects (like dust)
Explaining The Numbers
Luckily, IP ratings are designed to be as simple to understand at a glance as possible. The first number corresponds to protection from objects. The second number corresponds to protection from moisture. That means an object that’s completely watertight might not be protected from dust, and vice versa.
Here’s what the first number translates to:
- No special protection
- Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part
- Protection against fingers or similar objects no larger than 80mm in length and 12mm in diameter.
- It has protection from entry by tools, wires etc, with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more.
- Protection against solid bodies larger than 1mm (e.g. fine tools/large ants etc).
- Protected against dust that may damage equipment.
- Totally dust tight.
And here’s the second number:
- No protection.
- Protection against condensation
- Protection against water droplets when tilted up to 15° from vertical
- Protected against spray up to 60° from vertical.
- Protected against water spray and splashes from all directions.
- Protection against low pressure water jets (all directions)
- Protection against strong water jets and waves.
- Protected against temporary immersion, up to 1m depth
- Protected against prolonged effects of immersion under pressure, usually up to 3m.
If you have a digit replaced with an x, that means the manufacturer didn’t test the object’s protection levels in that area.
This isn’t the same as being rated 1 or 0, but it does mean you shouldn’t rely on it. Always err on the side of caution.
IP Ratings And Mirrorstone Heaters
All of our heaters are rated at least IP54. This means they can be safely used in spaces where there’s a risk of splashing, such as sheltered outdoor areas or certain zones of your bathroom (more on that later). They are well protected from larger dust particles, the sort that would be more likely to cause damage to your heater.
If you need something a little more certain, then our mirror panels and our Aurora bar heaters are IP65 rated. That means they’re protected from light jets of water instead of just splashes, and completely protected from all kinds of dust.
The Aurora range in particular is built for outdoor use, being one of the most powerful heaters we offer. The IP rating ensuring it can understand the rigours of being outdoors
It’s very important to note that water resistant is not the same thing as waterproof. You cannot submerge an IP65 or IP54 rated heater in water, as this will break the panel and pose a serious safety risk.
Instead, think of these ratings as a little extra certainty that your panels aren’t being damaged by accidental contact with water, not as a sign that you should aim to throw water at them!
What Did You Say About Bathroom Zones?
IP Zoning is an extra tool in your box for safely bringing electronic products into your bathroom. In short, you can use this to divide your bathroom into zones, and choose appropriately IP rated products for those areas.
Zone 0 is right inside the bath or shower. You should only ever use devices with an IP67 rating and up in these areas. That’s why in-shower lighting tends to be specifically labelled as such.
Zone 1 is just above the bath, at least 2.25m off the floor. Here you’ll need a device that’s at least IP65 rated, like one of our mirror panels.
Zone 2 is at least 0.6m horizontally away from the bath or shower, and again at least 2.25m away from the floor. Here, you only need IP44 ratings.
Therefore, most of our panels would be suitable for general use in your bathroom, but if you want a heater in zone 1, you’ll need to grab a mirror panel instead.
If you’ve got questions about the IP ratings of our heaters and where they can be installed, today or call us give us a call on 0116 436 2250 or send us an email to sales@mirrorstone.co.uk.
We can even send you a FREE catalogue with our entire range inside! Simply click the button below and fill the form out – we’ll handle the rest.