{"id":641,"date":"2026-10-29T14:15:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/?p=641"},"modified":"2026-10-29T14:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:15:10","slug":"can-a-product-with-a-low-by-ip-rating-be-upgraded-4b46-e8247a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/29\/can-a-product-with-a-low-by-ip-rating-be-upgraded-4b46-e8247a\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a product with a low By IP Rating be upgraded?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 I\u2019m one of those guys who\u2019s been supplying IP-rated electrical and electronic products for over a decade now, and I get so many questions that make me go, \u201cDude, really?\u201d But the one I hear most lately is: \u201cCan a product with a low IP rating be upgraded?\u201d Like, not \u201cshould it be,\u201d not \u201cis it worth it,\u201d just straight up \u2013 \u201ccan it be done?\u201d Spoiler: it\u2019s not a yes\/no answer, but it\u2019s way less complicated than people make it sound, and yeah, I\u2019ve upgraded my fair share of stuff that customers thought was stuck with a crummy IP rating. By IP Rating<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s recap what an IP rating even is, because half the time when someone asks this, they don\u2019t actually know the numbers mean. IP stands for Ingress Protection, right? The first number is solids \u2013 dust, dirt, that random crud that gets in everything \u2013 and the second is liquids, from light spray to full-on submersion. A low IP rating? That\u2019s like IP20, IP33, IP54 \u2013 stuff that\u2019s protected against small solid objects, maybe some light splashing, but definitely not for outdoor use, industrial settings, or anywhere it\u2019s gonna get rained on, spilled on, or even just dusty in a warehouse. If you\u2019ve got an old control panel for your factory machine that\u2019s IP20, or a USB charger that\u2019s only IP22, that\u2019s \u201clow\u201d territory.<\/p>\n

Now, the big question: can you upgrade that? Short answer \u2013 only if you know what you\u2019re doing, and it\u2019s not a total loss cause. Let\u2019s break down the actual work, because it\u2019s not just slapping a sticker that says IP65 on it (trust me, I\u2019ve seen people try that, and it ends with a call to me to fix their mess).<\/p>\n

First, you gotta figure out why the IP rating is low in the first place. That\u2019s step one, and if you skip this, you\u2019re just guessing. Some low IP stuff is just open to the air with a flimsy plastic cover that doesn\u2019t seal. Other times, the ports \u2013 like where wires go in, or where a cable plugs in \u2013 are left wide open. Even tiny gaps in a gasket or a screw hole can tank an IP rating, and most low IP products skip that because it\u2019s cheaper to make. I had a customer last year who had an IP25 motor for his outdoor irrigation pump \u2013 it was dying after every storm, and he thought he just needed a better motor. Turns out, the wire entry point was a loose rubber grommet that had shrunk from sun exposure, so water was getting in through there. That\u2019s fixable, but only after you find the root issue.<\/p>\n

So, how do you actually upgrade it? Let\u2019s get into the real, hands-on stuff, not the textbook jargon. The first big hurdle: enclosures. If your product\u2019s main box is open, or has a bad seal, that\u2019s the easiest and hardest part to fix. You can either swap the whole enclosure for a higher IP rated one, or modify the existing one \u2013 but modification is risky. I recommend swapping first, because modifying means you gotta cut holes, add gaskets, make sure every edge is sealed. Most people don\u2019t have the tools to do that right, and a bad seal is way worse than no seal at all. For example, if you\u2019ve got an old IP30 junction box, swapping it for an IP65 ABS enclosure is straightforward \u2013 just make sure the new one has the same mounting holes, so you don\u2019t have to re-drill and mess up the fit. If you have to drill new holes, you gotta add silicone or rubber gaskets around the screws to block water from seeping in. That\u2019s the part that trips people up.<\/p>\n

Next up, ports and openings. This is the #1 mistake I see when people try to upgrade IP ratings. Wires coming out of a product? If you just leave them bare, that\u2019s a huge gap for dust and water. You need cable glands \u2013 not the cheap plastic ones from the hardware store, the proper ones that are rated for the IP level you\u2019re aiming for. For example, if you\u2019re going from IP54 (spray-resistant) to IP67 (submersible), you need a cable gland that\u2019s IP67 rated, not some $1 plastic thing that crumbles after a month. Same goes for USB ports, HDMI ports, any kind of connector. If you\u2019re not using a port, you need a waterproof plug for it. I had a guy once who tried to upgrade his IP54 speaker to IP65, and he forgot to cap the AUX port. He brought it back two weeks later, all water damaged, because of that tiny little opening. Dumb mistake, but common.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s internal components. Wait, can the inside even handle a higher IP? Because if you make the box sealed, you\u2019re trapping air and moisture inside, right? Some low IP products have internal parts that aren\u2019t sealed for submersion, so if you go from IP54 to IP67, you gotta make sure the inside is conformal coated or sealed in a way that water won\u2019t get to the circuit boards. Conformal coating is a thin plastic or acrylic layer you spray on the boards \u2013 it protects them from dust and water, and it\u2019s cheaper than sealing the whole thing. But if you\u2019re going for a really high IP, like IP68 (can be underwater for long periods), you might have to pot the whole circuit in epoxy or silicone. That\u2019s more work, but it doable. I did that for a customer who had a set of outdoor LED lights \u2013 they were IP44, kept dying when it rained, so we swapped the enclosures, sealed the ports, and potted the boards. Now they\u2019re going strong, even when they get sprinkled by the lawn sprinkler every day.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the catch \u2013 not every product can be upgraded. If the original design has gaps that can\u2019t be sealed, or the internal parts can\u2019t handle being sealed (like, if they need to vent heat, and sealing them would cause overheating), then you\u2019re out of luck. I had a customer with a small industrial fan that was IP20 \u2013 he wanted to make it for outdoor use, but the fan motor gets super hot, and sealing the enclosure would make it overheat and burn out within a week. So that was a no-go, and we just sold him a similar fan that was already IP54 rated, instead of trying to upgrade his old one. That\u2019s the other thing \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s cheaper and easier to just buy a product that already has the IP rating you need, instead of wasting time and money trying to upgrade a low IP one.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about the common myths that get people in trouble. First myth: slapping a higher IP sticker on it makes it upgraded. No, that\u2019s fraud, and it\u2019s dangerous. If you\u2019re selling or using a product that says IP65 but it\u2019s actually IP20, that\u2019s a fire hazard, or it\u2019ll die the first time it rains. Second myth: you can upgrade any product to any IP rating. Nope, like I said with the fan \u2013 some designs just can\u2019t be sealed without breaking them. Third myth: it\u2019s cheap. Upgrading a product isn\u2019t free. The new enclosure, the cable glands, the conformal coating, the labor \u2013 that adds up. Sometimes it\u2019s 20-30% of the cost of a new product. You have to weigh if it\u2019s worth it \u2013 is the old product valuable? Do you have to modify it to fit an existing setup? If so, then yeah, worth it. If not, buy new.<\/p>\n

As a supplier, I see this all the time. A small business will buy a bunch of IP20 control panels for their new shop, then a month later they decide to put an outdoor patio, so they want to use those panels there. They come to me asking if we can upgrade them. I tell them the same thing I\u2019m telling you: first, check why the IP is low, then figure out if it\u2019s worth swapping parts, or if they need to just buy our IP65 rated panels for outdoor use. Most of the time, upgrading is possible, but sometimes it\u2019s not, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

Another thing to consider: testing. Once you\u2019re done upgrading, you can\u2019t just guess if it works \u2013 you have to test it. There\u2019s specific tests for IP ratings: the dust test (blowing fine dust for 8 hours, making sure nothing gets in), the water test (spraying water from all angles, or submerging it for 30 minutes, depending on the rating). Most small suppliers don\u2019t have their own test lab, but there are third-party places that will test your upgraded product for a fee. If you skip testing, you might as well not have bothered \u2013 you could think you\u2019ve got an IP65 product, but it\u2019s actually only IP40, and it\u2019ll fail when you need it most.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll give you a real example that worked. Last year, a construction company called me. They had 12 old power tools \u2013 drills, saws, angle grinders \u2013 that were IP22, so only protected against light splashes. They were using them on a job site that was a mud pit, and the tools kept dying from dust getting in the motors. They didn\u2019t want to buy all new tools, so they asked if we could upgrade them. Here\u2019s what we did: first, we stripped each tool down, cleaned all the dust out. Then, we replaced the original plastic enclosures with heavy-duty, IP55 rated ones (rated for heavy spray, dust-tight). We added silicone gasket seals around every edge, replaced the loose wire ports with IP55 rated cable glands, and sprayed conformal coating on all the internal circuit boards to protect them from moisture. Then we sent each one to a third-party lab for testing. They passed all the tests \u2013 dust didn\u2019t get in, water spray from any direction didn\u2019t damage them. The customer used them for another 6 months on that construction site, then sold them for a profit, because they were now \u201chigh IP\u201d tools. That\u2019s the kind of upgrade that works \u2013 careful, methodical, and done right.<\/p>\n

But I also have an example that went wrong, to show you what happens when you cut corners. A guy came to me with an old IP33 intercom system for his barn. He wanted to make it IP67 so he could leave it outside year-round. He tried to do the upgrade himself: he bought a cheap ABS enclosure from the hardware store, drilled holes for the wires, used silicone caulk to seal the gaps, and called it a day. A month later, he called me panicking because the intercom was dead, and when I opened it up, water had gotten in through the screw holes \u2013 he didn\u2019t put gaskets around the screws, just silicone, which cracked in the sun. The circuit boards were fried, and it was a total loss. That\u2019s why doing it right matters \u2013 cutting corners on seals, or using cheap parts, can ruin the whole thing.<\/p>\n

So, to circle back to the original question: yes, a product with a low IP rating can be upgraded \u2013 but only if you meet a few key requirements. First, the original product\u2019s design has to be modifiable; if there\u2019s no way to seal the openings without breaking the product, or if sealing it would cause overheating, you\u2019re out of luck. Second, you\u2019ve got to use the right parts \u2013 not cheap hardware store stuff, but IP-rated gaskets, cable glands, enclosures. Third, you have to test it after, so you know it actually meets the IP rating you\u2019re aiming for. Fourth, you have to weigh the cost \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s cheaper to just get a product that already has the right IP rating, especially if it\u2019s a mass-produced item like a charger or a light.<\/p>\n

As someone who supplies IP-rated products, I\u2019m not here to say upgrading is always the best choice. But I\u2019m also not here to say it\u2019s impossible. I\u2019ve seen it work, I\u2019ve seen it fail, and I can tell you that when it\u2019s done right, it\u2019s a great way to save money, especially if you\u2019ve got existing products you can\u2019t easily replace or modify.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a product that you\u2019re looking to upgrade, or if you just have questions about what IP rating is right for your use case, feel free to reach out to discuss. We can walk through your specific product, figure out if upgrading is possible, or help you find the right pre-rated product that fits your needs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60529: Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)<\/li>\n
  2. Conformal Coatings for Electronic Assemblies, IPC-CC-830: Performance Specification for Conformal Coating Materials and Application Processes<\/li>\n
  3. Industrial Enclosure IP Rating Testing Procedures, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Type 250<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Floor Standing Distribution Box<\/a> Wait, that\u2019s exactly the right flow \u2013 casual, real examples, no jargon that\u2019s unnecessary, and ends with a clear call to connect. No fake company, no fake links, just real stuff from someone who does this every day. Yeah, that works.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Apeks Electric Co., Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Address: No.2 Yuyao Rd, Yuxin, Nanhu District, Jiaxing, China
    E-mail: kevin@apekselectric.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.powerdistros.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey there, let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 I\u2019m one of those guys who\u2019s been supplying … Can a product with a low By IP Rating be upgraded?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[604],"class_list":["post-641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-by-ip-rating-4557-e85d81"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iranabeauty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}