Maintaining IP Test Equipment: A Simple Regime

IP test equipment is simple and therefore neglected. Most laboratories that produce inconsistent results have a maintenance problem rather than a technique problem.

Monthly

Flush the drip box and clean the holes with a soft wire; scale from hard water closes them gradually and reduces flow without any visible sign. Check the turntable speed with a stopwatch. Inspect nozzles for wear and clean the strainer on the pump inlet.

Quarterly

Measure flow at a reference pressure for each nozzle and log it. Check the pressure gauge against a reference. Verify the oscillating tube hole pattern and the swing angle with a protractor.

Annually

Calibrate the flow meter, pressure gauge and timer. Replace elastomer seals in the pipework. Check the dust chamber blower and the powder distribution, and replace the talcum charge, since agglomerated powder no longer behaves like dust.

Records

Keep a logbook per rig. When a test result is challenged, the log is what shows the equipment was in specification on the day, and it is far more convincing than a certificate from eight months earlier.

Related technical notes

• Calculating IPX5 and IPX6 Test Duration from Surface Area
• Water Temperature in IP Testing: An Overlooked Variable
• Dust Tight or Dust Protected: The Difference IP5X and IP6X