[Hiltonian]

I am about to send a Duosida adjustable (8 to 32 Amps) EVSE back to the vendor (EVDoctor) for service. When I was shopping for a 240V EVSE I looked for the word "waterproof", because I wanted to use it outside. The Duosida had the word "waterproof" in the listing on Amazon with a graphic of an umbrella. Down in the description it said "IP55". I had no idea what IP55 was, but it said waterproof and a "no questions asked" 1-year warranty, so I bought it. It lasted a couple of months before it refused to charge. I went back and forth with EVDoctor about the meaning of the word "waterproof" and the phrase "no questions asked" and I'm going to give up and send it back with the understanding that if there is water in the electronics casing it's not under warranty.

So, IP ratings...
IP stands for ingress protection, and the two numbers give the level of protection. The first number is for solids and the second for liquids.

As you can see, the first 5 in IP55, means "sufficient" against dust, but not absolute. The second 5 should mean that you can aim a garden hose, minus nozzle, at it and it will be ok. But apparently not with a nozzle. And apparently not rain, at least for the Duosida.

IP66 or IP67 is more the ticket. Complete dust protection and firehose proof. IP66 is the highest rating that I've seen on an EVSE electronics housing. It's probably also the minimum you should buy.

So, buyer beware on "waterproof" chargers.

 

[psyflyjohn]

And then there's the whole depth measurement. How many feet can it be submerged to ?

 

[NY-Rob]

Just for reference, decent outdoor cams are rated as IP67....

W Box Technologies

www.wboxtech.com

 

[Eriamjh1138]

There's WATERPROOF and water RESISTANT.

Waterproof means proof of water will invalidate your warranty.

Water Resistant, usually specified with a distance, such as Water Resistant to 100m, means it is resistant to water until it gets within 100m of said water.

You will NEVER be able to claim a warranty against water intrusion.