What is an IP rated Ceiling Fan or Light Fitting?

You’ll note that some of our ceiling fans and light fittings are listed with an IP rating. The Aqua V2 DC IP66 Ceiling Fan by Hunter Pacific or the Stockholm Exterior Wall Light by Cougar are good examples. But what does IP stand for? The answer is “Ingress Protection”.

In short, it’s a rating that is applicable to how well a product is protected against solids and liquids, as published by the International Electrotechnical Commission.

As the name of the commission suggests, it’s an international standard and applies to multiple items - in our case ceiling fans and light fittings - and is mostly relevant if you’re looking for outdoor and water-resistant products.

An IP Rating is composed of two numerals.

The first numeral rates the product’s level of protection against solid objects and is rated on a scale from 0 (no protection) to 6 (full protection against dust and other particulates like fine tools and wires, nails and screws – see more about this below).

The second numeral rates the products resistance against liquid, like water spray, and uses a scale from 0 (no protection) up to 8 (full immersion in water) and then 9 (strong water jets of high temperature) This level is usually used in commercial or industrial applications.

For products used in domestic applications the relevant maximum rating is typically 6 (which includes protection against powerful jets of water from any direction.)

For a great example of this see the video below of the Aqua V2 DC IP66 Ceiling Fan by Hunter Pacific which is the world’s first fully IP66 rated ceiling fan.

By using the table below, which demonstrate what each number means, you’ll also note that the second digit (protection against liquids) scales to 8 and 9, but this relates to full immersion under water and is not applicable to the products we sell. As the chart demonstrates, the first 6 refers to protection from dust meaning that the applicable product is fully dust tight. The second 6 means that it is protected from strong water jets from any direction.

Therefore, the highest rating on our products is usually IP66.

 IP44, and the letter X! The most common rating for your outdoor or bathroom products.

The most common IP rating for outdoor or bathroom products, such as outdoor coach lights or bathroom vanity lights, is IP44. This is because the first 4 indicates protection from solid materials as small as 1mm such as wires, screws (and even some insects) while the second 4 indicates protection from splashing water from any direction such as rain. For coastal areas or locations that could be exposed to high levels of moisture or more direct contact with water (and salt!), a higher rating will result in a light fitting lasting longer.

In some cases, the letter X is used to represent insufficient testing. This is less common but can be found in outdoor rated lighting where the main concern is water protection rather than solid objects. In this case the IP rating would be IPX4.