NEMA Ratings
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides a popular standard for protective enclosures.
NEMA 250 covers a broader set of harsh conditions than the IP code and includes ratings for indoor and outdoor locations, both hazardous and nonhazardous.
These conditions include ingress of water and foreign objects (e.g. dust or fibers), as well as corrosive agents and various gases and atmospheres. The table provides a brief description of each level of protection, which NEMA specifies with a NEMA Enclosure Type Number.
It is important to note that, because NEMA Enclosure Types are tested over a wider set of environmental conditions, it is not possible to obtain an equivalent NEMA Type from an IP code – although the opposite (converting a NEMA Type to an IP code) may provide a good guideline.
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NEMA Ratings Comparison of Specific Applications of Enclosures
Indoor Nonhazardous Locations
This is a brief table outlining the NEMA ratings as related to the use of enclosures in an indoor nonhazardous location.
| Provides a Degree of Protection Against the Following Environmental Conditions | Enclosure NEMA Type | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 4X | 5 | 6 | 6P | 12 | 12K | 13 | ||
| Access to hazardous parts | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Falling dirt) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Ingress of water (Dripping and light splashing) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings **) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Settling airborne dust, lint, fibers, and flyings **) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Ingress of water (Hosedown and splashing water) | x | x | x | x | |||||||
| Oil or coolant seepage | x | x | x | ||||||||
| Oil or coolant spraying and splashing | x | ||||||||||
| Corrosive agents | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional temporary submersion) | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional prolonged submersion) | x | ||||||||||
Outdoor Nonhazardous Locations
This is a brief table outlining the NEMA ratings as related to the use of enclosures in an outdoor nonhazardous location.
| Provides a Degree of Protection Against the Following Environmental Conditions | Enclosure NEMA Type | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3X | 3R | 3RX | 3S | 3SX | 4 | 4X | 6 | 6P | ||
| Access to hazardous parts | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Ingress of water (Rain, snow, and sleet **) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Sleet | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Windblown dust, lint, fibers, and flyings) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Ingress of water (Hosedown) | x | x | x | x | |||||||
| Corrosive agents | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional temporary submersion) | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional prolonged submersion) | x | ||||||||||
Recommended Products
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Browse our robust inventory of BUD Industries NEMA rated enclosures. Ready to ship today or be modified to fit your application.
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