What is an IP Rating?
One common added feature for electronic thermometers, particularly electronic cooking thermometers, is a splashproof or waterproof rating.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has created a standard for rating instruments based on their ability to protect their electronic components from corrosion by water or dust. The International Protection Rating code (or IP code) consists of the letters "IP" followed by two numbers.
The first number tells you how protected an instrument's electronics are from penetration by solids (like dust) and the second number tells you how they stand up against liquids according to the following table:
| First number Protection against solid objects |
Second Number Protection against liquids |
||
| 0 | No protection | 0 | No protection |
| 1 | Protected against solids objects over 50mm (e.g. accidental touch by hands) | 1 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water |
| 2 | Protected against solids objects over 12mm (e.g. fingers) | 2 | Protected against direct sprays up to 15° from the vertical |
| 3 | Protected against solids objects over 2.5mm (e.g. tools and wires) | 3 | Protected against direct sprays up to 60° from the vertical |
| 4 | Protected against solids objects over 1mm (e.g. tools, wires and small wires) | 4 | Protected against sprays from all directions - limited ingress permitted |
| 5 | Protected against dust - limited ingress (no harmful deposit) | 5 | Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - limited ingress permitted |
| 6 | Totally protected against dust | 6 | Protected against strong jets of water e.g. for use on shipdecks - limited ingress permitted |
| 7 | Protected against the effects of temporary immersion between 15cm and 1m. Duration of test 30 minutes | ||
| 8 | Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure |
If, for example, a thermometer had a rating of "IP65," that would mean that it was tested and found completely protected against dust as well as protected against low pressure jets of liquid from all sides, but NOT protected against immersion, or an accidental drop into the soup!