IPX5 and IPX6 Jet Tests: Nozzle, Pressure and Distance

IPX5 and IPX6 use a hand-held jet nozzle aimed at the enclosure. They are the levels most often quoted for outdoor equipment, and the two differ by a factor of eight in flow.

IPX5

Nozzle bore 6.3 mm, delivery 12.5 litres per minute, pressure about 30 kPa at the nozzle, distance 2.5 to 3 metres from the enclosure, duration at least 3 minutes per square metre of surface area with a minimum of 3 minutes. The jet is aimed at every exposed surface, including the underside where water accumulates.

IPX6

Nozzle bore 12.5 mm, delivery 100 litres per minute, pressure about 100 kPa, same distance and dwell rules. The force is high enough to move loose covers and to drive water past gaskets that survive IPX5, which is why the two levels are not interchangeable.

Verifying the setup

Measure flow with a bucket and a stopwatch, and check pressure at the nozzle with a gauge, not at the pump. Confirm the distance with a tape for each position rather than estimating. Where the enclosure is large, calculate the surface area properly: a common error is to use the footprint and forget the sides.

Related technical notes

• IPX7 Immersion: Depth, Duration and the Trapped Air Problem
• IPX8: Continuous Immersion by Agreement
• IPX9K: High Pressure, High Temperature Washdown