Water Jet Test (IPX5 Water Jet Test)
This is the second-digit 5 condition of IEC 60529: water is directed at the enclosure from every direction from a 6.3 mm nozzle at a distance of approximately 3 metres with a flow rate of approximately 12.5 L/min; the duration is 1 minute per square metre of surface, at least 3 minutes. The pressure is approximately 30 kPa and is far below that of industrial washing machines.
The jet test stresses the seal with a dynamic load rather than a hydrostatic one: water arrives under pressure from a single point, and a weak seal or an insufficiently tightened cable entry is exposed here. IPX6 is the heavy version of the same test performed with a 12.5 mm nozzle and a higher flow rate.
- Commonly confused point: IPX5 and IPX7 are different load types. An enclosure can pass the jet and fail immersion, and the opposite can also happen.
- Field equivalent: hose cleaning carried out at a concrete plant, a food facility or a mining site is what IPX5 is about; a high-pressure washing gun is outside both codes.
- Rule: whatever the protection code, do not clean the remote control and the receiver with a washing gun; a damp cloth and a soft brush are enough.
Since the codes declared for AXI sets are IP64 and IP67, jet resistance cannot be attributed to the product.
The context in which this term is used: Wireless Crane Remote Control Selection Guide