Environmental Conditions

and the Appropriate:

ENCLOSURE TYPES
 Understanding the Environment
Indoors / Outdoors
Water -- Drip / Rain / Hose / Submersion / Ice
Dust -- Settling, Circulating, or Windblown Dust
Corrosive Liquids / Oil / Noncorrosive Liquids
Hazardous Location -- Gas / Combustible Dust

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 2

 •Common To All Enclosures
Provide A Degree Of Protection To Personnel
Against Incidental Contact With The Enclosed
Equipment

Rod Test: NEMA 1, 2, 3R

 Definitions
•Driptight -
• Falling dirt or moisture will not enter the enclosure

•Dusttight -
• Circulating or airborne dust will not enter the enclosure
•Rainproof -
• Exposure to beating rain will not interfere with the operation
of the apparatus or result in wetting of live parts and wiring
within the enclosure

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 4

 Definitions
•Raintight -
• Exposure to beating rain will not result in entrance of water

•Watertight -
• Water will not enter enclosure when subjected to a stream of
water

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 5

 Type 1
•Indoor Use
•General Purpose (Not
Exposed To Unusual
Conditions)

•Degree of
Protection From
Falling Dirt

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 6

 Type 2
•Indoor Use
•Degree Of
Protection From:
• Falling Dirt
• Dripping Non-
Corrosive Liquid
• Light Splashing of
Non-Corrosive
Liquid
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 7
 Type 3
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection From:
• Falling Dirt, Rain, Sleet, and Snow
• Windblown Dust
•Undamaged by the External
Formation of Ice.

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 8

 Type 3R
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection
From:
• Falling Dirt, Rain, Sleet,
and Snow
•Not Dustproof,
Snowproof, or Sleetproof
•Undamaged by the
External Formation of Ice
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 9
 Type 3S
•Indoor or Outdoor
Use
•Degree of Protection
From:
• Falling Dirt, Rain, Sleet,
Snow, and Windblown
Dust
•External
Mechanism(s) remain
Operable When Ice 10
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001
 Type 4
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection
From:
• Windblown Dust and Rain
• Splashing Water
• Hose Directed Water
• Undamaged by the
External Formation of Ice

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 11

 Type 4X
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection
From: • Windblown Dust and
Rain
• Splashing Water
• Hose Directed Water
• Damage from External
Ice Formation
• Corrosion Resistive

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 12

 Type 5
•Indoor Use
•Degree of Protection
From:
• Falling Dirt, Settling
Airborne Dust, Lint, Fibers,
and Flyings
• Dripping and Light
Splashing of Noncorrosive
Liquids

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 13

 Type 6
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection From:
• Falling Dirt
• Hose Directed Water
• Damage From External Ice
Formation
• Entry of Water During
Occasional Temporary
Submersion at a Limited Depth

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 14

 Type 6P
•Indoor or Outdoor Use
•Degree of Protection From:
• Falling Dirt
• Hose Directed Water
• Damage From External Ice Formation
• Entry of Water During Prolonged
Submersion at a Limited Depth

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 15

 Type 7
Indoor use in
locations classified
as Class I, Groups A,
B, C, or D, as defined
in the NEC.
Protection against
Hazardous Location
atmospheres
containing Gases
Enclosure Type Designations
and Vapors. Copyright © 2001 16
 Type 8
Indoor or Outdoor use in locations
classified as Class I, Groups A, B, C,
or D, as defined in the the NEC.
Protection against Hazardous
Location atmospheres containing
Gases and Vapors.
Arcing contacts, connections, … are
immersed in oil in order to confine
ignition source.
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 17
 Type 9
Indoor use in locations
classified as Class II,
Groups E, F, or G, as
defined in the the NEC.
Protection against
Hazardous Location
atmospheres containing
Dust.

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 18

 Type 10
Capable of meeting the requirements
of the (MSHA) Mine Safety and
Health Administration, 30 C.F.R., Part
18.

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 19

 Type 12
Indoor use primarily to provide a
degree of protection against:
• Circulating Dust
• Falling Dirt
• Dripping Noncorrosive Liquid
• Circulating Lint, Fibers and
Flyings (Nonhazardous and not considered
Class III Type ignitable fibers or flyings)

Type 12K
Type 12 with Knockouts
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 20
 Type 13
Indoor or Outdoor use
primarily to provide a
degree of protection
against:
• Dust
• Spraying of Water, Oil, and
Noncorrosive Coolant
• Oil and Coolant Seepage

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 21

 Comparison of Indoor
Enclosure Applications
Enclosure Type
Condition of Protection 1 2 4 4X 5 6 6P 12(K) 13
Falling Dirt X X X X X X X X X
Falling Liquids and Light Splashings -- X X X X X X X X
Circulating dust, lint, fibers, & flyings -- -- X X -- X X X X
Settling airborne dust, lint, fibers & flyings* -- -- X X X X X X X
Hosedown and Splashing water -- -- X X -- X X -- --
Oil and Coolant seepage -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X
Oil or Coolant spraying and splashing -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X
Corrosive Agents -- -- -- X -- -- X -- --
Occasional Temporary Submersion -- -- -- -- -- X X -- --
Occasional Prolonged Submersion -- -- -- -- -- -- X -- --

* These fibers and flyings are nonhazardous materials and are not
considered Class III type ignitable fibers or combustibles flyings Table: NEMA 250
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 22
 Comparison of Outdoor
Enclosure Applications
Enclosure Type
Condition of Protection 3 3R 3S 4 4X
Rain, snow, sleet X X X X X
Sleet (External Operating Mech. Operable w/ ice) -- -- X -- --
Windblown dust X -- X X X
Hosedown -- -- -- X X
Corrosive Agents -- -- -- -- X

Table: NEMA 250

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 23

 Comparison of Indoor Enclosure
Applications for Hazardous Locations
Type 7 & 8 Type 9
Atmosphere Containing: Class A B C D E F G 10
Acetylene I X -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Hydrogen, manufactured gas I -- X -- -- -- -- -- --
Diethel ether, ethylene, cyclopropane I -- -- X -- -- -- -- --
Gasoline, hexane, butane, naphtha,
propane,acetone,toluene, isoprene I -- -- -- X -- -- -- --
Metal dust II -- -- -- -- X -- -- --
Carbon black, coal dust, coke dust II -- -- -- -- -- X -- --
Flour, starch, grain dust II -- -- -- -- -- -- X --
Fiber flyings III -- -- -- -- -- -- X --
Methane with or without coal dust MSHA -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X
Table: NEMA 250
See NFPA 497M for complete listing of atmosphere classifications
NFPA 496, Purged and Pressurized Enclosures ..., outlines alternatives to
Type 7 & 9 Enclosures when adequate positive pressure ventilation is used.
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 24
 IEC Enclosure Designations
•European System of specifying the degree
of protection provided by the enclosure.
•NEC does not recognize such designations.
•IEC 60529 does not address mechanical
damage, risk of explosion, or corrosion.
•UL 50 and NEMA 250 do evaluate
mechanical characteristics such as corrosion,
icing, oil, …

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 25

 IEC Enclosure Designations
Example: IP10
•The IEC designation consists of the letters
IP followed by two numerals.
•The first numeral indicates the degree of
protection provided against persons and solid
foreign objects entering the enclosure.
•The second numeral indicates the degree of
protection provided against the harmful
ingress of water into the enclosure.
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 26
 Conversion of NEMA Types
to IEC IP Designations
IP IP
First
NEMA Enclosure Type Second
Character Character
1 2 3 3R 3S 4 4X 5 6 6P 12 12K 13
IP0_ IP_0
IP1_ IP_1
IP2_ IP_2
IP3_ IP_3
IP4_ IP_4
IP5_ IP_5
IP6_ IP_6
IP_7
IP_8
A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B

A = A shaded block in the “A” column indicates that the NEMA Enclosure Type exceeds the
requirements for the respective IEC 60529 IP First Character Designation. The IP First Character
Designation is the protection against access to hazardous parts and solid foreign objects.

B = A shaded block in the “B” column indicates that the NEMA Enclosure Type exceeds the
requirements for the respective IEC 60529 IP Second Character Designation. The IP Second
Character Designation is the protection against the ingress of water.
(This Table cannot be used to convert IEC IP Designations to NEMA Enclosure Types)
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 27
Understanding the Enclosure Conversion
An IEC IP 45 Enclosure Rating is specified. WhatTable
EXAMPLE OF TABLE USE
NEMA Type Enclosures meet and exceed the IP 45 rating?

Referencing the first character, 4, in the IP rating and the row designated “IP4_” in the leftmost column in the table;
the blocks in Column “A” for NEMA Types 3, 3S, 4, 4X, 5, 6, 6P, 12, 12K and 13 are shaded. These NEMA
ratings meet and exceed the IEC protection requirements against access to hazardous parts and solid foreign objects.
Referencing the second character, 5, in the IP rating and the row designated “IP_5” in the rightmost column in the
table; the blocks in Column “B” for NEMA Types 3, 3S, 4, 4X, 6 and 6P are shaded. These NEMA ratings meet
and exceed the IEC requirements for protection against the ingress of water. The absence of shading in Column “B”
beneath the “NEMA Enclosure Type 5” indicates that Type 5 does not meet the IP 45 protection requirements
against the ingress of water. Likewise the absence of shading in Column “B” for NEMA Type 12, 12K and 13
enclosures indicates that these enclosures do not meet the IP 45 requirements for protection against the ingress of
water. Only Types 3, 3S, 4, 4X, 6 and 6P have both Column “A” in the “IP4_” row and Column “B” in the “IP_5”
row shaded and could be used in an IP45 application.

The NEMA Enclosure Type 3 not only meets the IP 45 Enclosure Rating, but also exceeds the IEC requirements
because the NEMA Type requires an outdoor corrosion test; a gasket aging test; a dust test; an external icing test;
and no water penetration in the rain test. Slight differences exist between the IEC and NEMA test methods, but the
IEC rating permits the penetration of water if “it does not deposit on insulation parts, or reach live parts.” The IEC
rating does not require a corrosion test; gasket aging test; dust test or external icing test. Because the NEMA ratings
include additional test requirements, this table cannot be used to select IP Designations for NEMA rated enclosure
specifications.

Since the IEC protection requirements become more stringent with increasing IP character value, once a NEMA
rating meets the requirements for an IP designation, it will also meet the requirements for all lower IP designations.
This is apparent from the shaded areas shown in the table.

(The Table cannot be used to convert IEC IP Designations to NEMA Enclosure Types)
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 28
Multiple Types on Enclosure
Type 3, 3R, 4X, 5, 12
Stainless Steel or other materials approved
for the use (Corrosion Protection)

Drain Plug (Remove for Type 3R)

Gasketing (Dust and Water Protection)

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 29

 Power Outlet
UL 231 - Power Outlet
- Water Splash Test
- GFCI Requirements
NEC Branch Circuits
305-4 (c) Temporary
Power
555-4 Marinas and
Boatyards
551(G) RV Parks
Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 30
 •More Information?
UL “White” Book
Electrical Equipment For Use In Ordinary Locations, Page 133
Hazardous Locations Equipment Directory, Page 101

NEMA
NEMA Standard 250-1997
Global Publications (800) 854-7179
 Enclosure Section 5EN
Member
Adalet - PLM
Companies Lamson & Sessions
Allied Moulded Products, Inc. Milbank Manufacturing Company
Cooper B-Line Moeller Electric Corporation
BEBCO Industries, Inc. L.E. Mason Company a subsidiary of
Boltswitch, Inc. Thomas & Betts Corporation
Crouse Hinds Division / Cooper Ind. Rittal Corporation
Eaton Corp. / Cutler-Hammer Robroy Industries Inc.
Emerson Saginaw Control & Engineering, Inc
GE Industrial Systems Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
Hammond Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Square D Company
Hoffman Enclosures Company Thomas & Betts Corporation
Hubbell Inc. /Wiring Device-Kellems Division Wiegmann
Industrial Electrical Manufacturing, Inc.
Killark Electrical Manufacturing Co.

Enclosure Type Designations Copyright © 2001 32