The Importance of Knowing the Exterior Light IP Ratings to Avoid Buying the Wrong Products. Have you ever noticed garden lamps or street lamps as you pass by? How is the condition of the lamps? Are the lights not as bright as they used to be, or do they look very dirty? Garden lamps, street lights, backyard lights, and lights around the pathways are exterior lights that you should always pay attention to outside conditions because these lights face a lot of treatment from the outside, such as being exposed to continuous rain and storms, splashing puddles of water passing by nearby motorized vehicles, falling dust, and bird droppings, and it’s possible that people accidentally damage these outside lights.
By cleaning and caring for these outdoor lights regularly, you can extend the life of these products. And one thing you can do before buying exterior lights is to check the exterior light IP ratings.
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The Ingress Protection (IP) rating of the lighting determines the level of protection it has against dirt and water. Any lamp to be used in the bathroom, garden, or other wet environments must have a good IP rating. The IP rating is indicated by an IP code followed by a two-digit number that represents the product’s resistance to dirt or dust and water.
The higher the IP rating in a lighting product, the higher the resistance of the product to surrounding conditions. The IP rating for lamps to be installed indoors is different from that of exterior light IP rating. Interference with lights that may occur indoors is not as severe as that which occurs outdoors. So, the exterior light IP ratings is higher than the interior light IP ratings.
The lights in the bathroom or laundry area usually have an IP rating of 4 or below because they only get splashed by water from the shower. Meanwhile, outdoor lights such as in the garden, backyard, swimming pool, pathways, and driveways usually have IP65, IP67, or IP68.
The lowest exterior light IP rating is on the terrace light. For good general lighting around the front of your house, you need at least an IP23 protection level. This patio or terrace light is quite protected from water spray during heavy rain or storms.
You can also use patio lights with the same IP44 as all the lights you use in your house or under the roof and house number lights or wall mounted lights that are protected from spraying water from all directions. The first digit of this lamp indicates that the lamp cannot be penetrated by debris greater than one millimeter in diameter so that there is no possibility of insects entering the lamp.
Floodlights generally use exterior light IP rating of IP65. Figure 6 indicates that the lamp is dust and dirt-resistant. While the number 5 indicates if the lamp is resistant to strong jets of water. Street lights generally use this IP rating lamp.
The swimming pool area or fish pond in the backyard generally uses IP67. Lighting sets with this certification are not only protected against jets of water and solid materials but are also resistant to brief immersion. An indication of the lamp’s resistance to water is marked from the number 7.
If you want to illuminate a pool, waterfall feature, or swimming pool, you will need to install a light with an exterior light IP rating IP68. This will ensure that your underwater lighting is fairly waterproof, low voltage, and also able to withstand higher ambient pressures. The lamp can also experience several times of immersion due to adjusting to the model of the water feature.
Choosing the right lamp with an exterior light IP rating should be easy for you because you only need to look at the profile of the manufacturer that produces it. SDD Light as a professional manufacturer that produces LED lights with various types of exterior light IP ratings, will make it easier for you to choose the product that suits your needs.
Consult your exterior light IP ratings with our agent before you decide to buy a particular product. All SDD Light products have received international standard electronic safety certification, which will make you comfortable when using the products.
