What’s in a rating? – A look at IP and IK
When looking at our lighting products, you may have noticed our various ratings. They are there to let you know what environment it is safe to use our products in. But what do these ratings really mean?
We use two systems to rate our products: IP and IK. IP ratings refer to water and dust ingression, while the IK ratings refer to impact resistance. Read on to learn a more about these ratings!
When you see an IP rating on a product, you’ll notice it’s followed by two numbers.
The first number indicates the level of protection the product has against dust ingression. This measure is on a scale of 0-6; 0 meaning no protection at all and 6 meaning the product is dust tight.
The second number indicates the level of protection the product has against water ingression. This measure is on a scale of 0-8. There are two extra numbers in an IP rating: 6K and 9K. Products achieve these ratings with a resistance to water jets, pressure, and temperature.
The IP rating of our Submersible products is IP 68. So what that means is:
6: Our products are dust-tight.
8: You can immerse our fixtures in up to 39in (1m) of water.
Note that with Linear Flex fixtures, there are requirements you need to follow for your ends and leads in order to keep that IP 68 rating. A salesperson will be able to help you figure out the accessories and wiring requirements to keep your product dust and water free!
Much like IP ratings, IK ratings have 2 numbers after them. Unlike IP ratings, these numbers don’t each represent a different aspect, instead they represent levels of impact resistance.
IK ratings measure on a scale of 00-10.
Most of our products are rated IK 08. So this means our fixtures are protected against impacts of up to 5 joules.
It’s always important to look into the ratings of the products you’re purchasing. A poor rating can cause nightmares on site for everyone involved, and a short life for your product.
