Drip, Spray and Splash: Three Water Levels People Mix Up

IPX1 to IPX4 are all low pressure water tests, and datasheets often blur them into "splash proof". The differences are in the angle of attack and the volume, and they produce different failures.

The three levels

IPX2 is vertical drip on a tilted sample: a small volume, but it reaches seams that a vertical drip misses. IPX3 is a spray within plus and minus 60 degrees of vertical, delivered by an oscillating tube. IPX4 extends the swing to 180 degrees, so water reaches the underside and the rear.

Failure modes

Drip failures are usually capillary: water tracks along a seam or a screw thread. Spray failures are about gasket compression at an angle. Splash failures are about the underside, where water collects and where drain paths are missing.

Choosing

An indoor product near a sink needs IPX2 at most. Outdoor equipment without hose cleaning needs IPX4, because wind drives rain at an angle. Anything washed with a hose moves to IPX5, which is a different test entirely.

Related technical notes

• Cable Glands and Connectors: The Weak Point in Every IP Rating