What does the IP rating of a hair dryer mean and does it need one?
Not all hair dryers need an IP rating. However, if it is likely that it will come into contact with water, whether that’s being dripped on, sprayed, splashed or even a constant flow of water, such as a bathroom hair dryer, it will need to be Ingress Protection Rated (IP rated) at the correct level for the area.
For the IP rating there are 2 numbers, with the first one being more relevant to solids and the second, liquids:
First Digit
0: No special protection
1: Protection from a large part of the body such as the hand, from solid objects greater than 50mm in diameter
2: Protection against fingers or other object not greater that 80mm in length and 12mm in diameter
3: Protection from entry by tools, wires, etc. with a diameter or thickness greater than 1mm
4: Protection from entry by solid objects with a diameter or thickness greater than 1mm
5: Protection from the amount of dust that would interfere with the operation of equipment
6: Dust tight
Second Digit
0: No special protection
1: Protection from dripping water
2: Protection from vertically dripping water
3: Protection from sprayed water
4: Protection from splashed water
5: Protection from water projected from a nozzle
6: Protection against heavy seas, or powerful jets of water
7: Protection against immersion
8: Protection against complete, continuous submersion
For more in-depth information relating to IP ratings please see this article.
How to use IP rating in the real world
In the UK, as laid out in BS 7671, the bathroom has been divided into zones dependent on how much water will be found in that area. The zones are as follows:
- Zone 0: Inside the bath or shower – equipment must be IPX7 or higher (protected against immersion).
- Zone 1: Above the bath or shower up to 2.25m – minimum IPX4 (protection against water splashes).
- Zone 2: 0.6m horizontally from the edge of bath/shower and up to 2.25m – minimum IPX4.
- Outside Zones (beyond zone 2): No IP rating required unless there is a likelihood of water jets (then IPX5 is needed).
The IP rating you then need is dependent on the zone where that equipment will be used. For washroom hair dryers specifically:
- Portable hair dryers (like handheld ones) are not allowed to be used in zones 0, 1, or 2 unless powered by a shaver socket or extra-low voltage SELV system.
- Wall-mounted bathroom hair dryers designed for washrooms must have at least an IPX4 rating if installed in Zone 1 or 2.
This means that you need a rating of IPX4 if installed in Zone 1 or 2 but no minimum IP rating if installed outside the zones, but protection against splashes is still advisable (IPX1–IPX4).
