It is important to understand the rating by which bathroom and outdoor lights are classified. IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection' and is always followed by two characters. These two numbers refer to level of protection and it is important that you choose fittings with the correct rating according to where they are to be sited outdoors or within the bathroom.
First
Numeral
Short Description
(Protection against solids)
Second
Numeral
Short Description
(Protection against water)
0
Not protected
0
Not protected
1
Protected against solid objects > 50mm
1
Protected against falling water
2
Protected against solid objects > 12mm
2
Protected against falling water up to 15°
3
Protected against solid objects > 2.5mm
3
Protected against spraying water
4
Protected against solid objects > 1.0mm
4
Protected against splashing water
5
Dust - Protected
5
Protected against low pressure water jets
6
Dust - Tight
6
Protected against high pressure water jets
7
Protected against temporary immersion
8
Protected against immersion
Example: IP44 - Protected against solid objects greater than 1mm, and splashing water
