How to protect cases from water ingress

Water ingress meaning

Water ingress is essentially the act of water infiltrating or entering something. Whether a building, vehicle or protective case, water ingress can cause significant and often irreparable damage to property and equipment alike.

Ingress level requirements

It is essential to protect your equipment from water ingress, due to the damage that water can cause.

It is not feasible to avoid water whatsoever, so the best way to protect your equipment is to store and transport it in a protective case with a sufficient International Protection rating.

An IP Rating – also known as an ‘Ingress Protection Rating’ – indicates the level of protection provided by a protective case against a number of elements, including:

• Water ingress – from drips and splashes to full submersion
• Foreign bodies – including hands, tools, wires and screws

The IP level you will require to sufficiently protect your equipment will depend upon the type of equipment and the environment in which it will be used, stored and transported.  

The most basic level of protection – level 0 – offers no protection from water whatsoever. Level 1 guards against dripping water, with additional grading levels protecting against water splashes, sprays and jets. The highest IP rating – level 8 –  provides cases with total protection against continuous immersion in water over 1m in depth.

Alongside the level of protection against water ingress, the IP rating scale also specifies the level of protection a protective case offers against solid objects, often defined as ‘foreign bodies’.

The most basic level of solid protection – level 0 – provides no protection against contact with objects, with the highest rating – level 6 – providing complete protection against contact with objects, together with zero ingress of dust.  

An example IP rating – indicating the level of protection

n a protective case provides against the ingress of water and solids – is:

IP46

1. IP – ‘Ingress Protection’
2. First Digit – offering solids protection of 4
3. Second Digit – offering liquids protection of 6

This rating indicates to the user that the protective case provides protection against damage from solid objects such as the majority of wires and screws, plus protection against water ingress of powerful water jets.

Water ingress damage

If defined by the IP rating scale, water ingress may take the form of:

• Vertical drips – up to an angle of 15°
• Splashes – from any direction  
• Sprays – from any angle up to 60°
• Jets – from any direction
• Full submersion – either less than 1m or greater than 1m in depth   

For some protective cases and equipment, dripping water may cause no damage whatsoever. Whereas with some highly sensitive equipment, the slightest exposure to water may cause significant damage. It is therefore essential to choose the correct level of protection to ensure you can store and transport all your equipment with complete confidence.

Should you require any additional advice regarding IP ratings, protection levels or which protective case is the best to choose for your needs; please just get in touch and our expert team will be happy to assist you. Either call us on 0208 568 1881 or email us at [email protected]. CP Cases are highly experienced in designing and manufacturing protective cases.