What’s IP and why does it matter so much?
How to make sure your outdoor lighting’s up to scratch.
Chances are, you’ve probably never heard of an Ingress Protection (IP) rating before, but if you’re considering lighting for your garden, patio or decking, checking an IP rating can be invaluable.
So if an IP rating’s so important, what does it actually mean and how can you use it to find the perfect lighting choice for your outdoor space?
What Do We Mean By An IP Rating?
If you’ve ever bought lights for your garden or driveway, you may have noticed an “IP” number on the packaging. This is the scale that all lights and fittings are rated on to judge their durability and weather resistance. Essentially, the IP scale rates a light bulb or fixture on how effectively it’s protected against damage from both solid objects and liquids. Whilst this is less important for indoor lighting, for outdoor lights that have to battle the elements, an IP rating is crucial to work out where a light can be placed and what damage it can safely come into contact with.
You should be able to find a light's Ingress Protection rating on its packaging, where it’ll be indicated by the initials IP, followed by two numbers. The first of these numbers indicates durability against contact with solid objects, while the second number shows water resistance. The higher the numbers, the greater protection the light has.
Here’s what the IP numbers indicate:
Why IP Matters
Outdoor lights tend to be at a far greater risk of both water and physical damage than indoor lighting. This means an appropriate IP rating is needed to ensure your outdoor lighting is long-lasting and won’t be easily damaged. A proper IP rating is also incredibly important for your own safety, as insufficient waterproofing could put you at greater risk of electric shocks and injury.
What IP Rating Do I Need?
Depending on location, your lighting will need different levels of protection. For example, path lights need sufficient protection from physical damage, however are at a lower risk of water damage; Whereas pond lights are at less risk of physical damage, but will require greater protection from water damage.
So which rating’s right for you?
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Deck & Patio Lighting
Considering lighting for your patio or decking? They’ll need a high level of physical and water protection to withstand human contact and jet-washing. We’d recommend, for this sort of lighting, a minimum IP rating of 65, which will insure protection from the highest levels of dust and human contact as well as high volumes of water, allowing to jet wash your decking or patio without having to worry about damaging your lights.
Garden & Path Lighting
If you’re thinking of lighting for a garden, lining a path or fitting lights to trees or an outdoor wall, we’d suggest anything from IP44 or higher. This will ensure your lights our sufficiently protected from heavy rainfall and splashing water, while also protecting them from any physical damage they may come into contact with from people and animals.
Security Lighting
Security lighting needs to be highly durable to ensure it’s always working and can’t be tampered with. When purchasing security lighting, you should aim for an IP rating around 65. This will ensure your security lighting is fully protected from physical damage and has a high level of water resistance to prevent any rain damage to the light or the motion sensor.
When it comes to security lighting, to make sure your house is safer and detract any trespassers, we’d recommend a high-quality, motion-activated LED wall light for your home.
If you’re thinking about lighting up your outdoor spaces, why not check out our range of outdoor lighting: