IP Ratings

[TheNamelessPoet]

Hello all! I am looking at putting LED light strips into my sugarhouse (my shed) and I am not positive which IP rating I need to get.

Am I correct in assuming I need IP 69 (lol) because of the high temperature of the steam?

[SeanD]

A higher level of waterproofing comes with the tradeoff of trapping more heat in the strip - which is what causes LEDs to fail. When I look at the waterproofing ratings, they are all rated for depth and time underwater. A really high level of waterproofing might be overkill. You mention boiling in a shed. Do you have a hood or cupola? Your final decision might depend on how much steam you get during a boil.

I'm looking at adding LED strips under my lean-to where my tanks are. It's a PITA cleaning up at night with a headlamp and it's time for an upgrade. Although it's outdoor, they will be installed in the rafters and protected from the elements. I'm going with a lower waterproofing rating, maybe even indoor lights. A bigger factor for me is the quality of white light. A lot of strips are designed for accent colors and that's a waste, really. On the other hand, many all-white strips are "daylight" in color. Personally, that arctic-white color give me a headache. On the other hand, soft white can feel dim no matter how bright you have it up. So, I'm targeting tunable white lights where I can adjust the color to what I need then leave it plugged in to my power strip that way. I'm not interested in having a remote or an app to use. I just want to turn a light on and have enough light to work comfortably. Running strips vs bulbs also cuts down on cast shadows which is kind of another PITA when I'm trying to work.