With the advent of intelligent devices and IoT based, there is a high demand for other waterproof components. Moisture and water are among the most significant environmental elements that impact electronic devices and reduce their performance.
There is a massive market for waterproof electric items like cables and connectors. In this article, we are covering lighting waterproof lighting connectors.
What is the Need for Waterproof Electrical Items?
Water and electricity do not go hand in hand. It is necessary to protect any electrical equipment from water and moisture. They need to be waterproof to avoid water damage.
The sealed lighting connectors are needed outdoors and in harsh working sites. Some companies are making these types of standard sealed and even customized cables and connectors. These come with IP67 or IP68 ratings on industry standards.
What is IP Rating Nomenclature?
The IP rating refers to the ingress protection, and it is used in several applications to denote the protection level of devices. This rating system is prevalent in mobile phones, wearable devices, and other consumer electronics.
The IP code is an industry-standard of the manufacturing sector that provides the ratings for protection against liquid and solid particles like water and dust, respectively. The waterproofing is done for the mechanical and electrical enclosures, which is done while assembling the product, in this case, the cable.
These IP ratings are standard for electronics with water resistance and dust resistance. Similarly, the waterproof lighting connectors have IP67 or IP68, which denotes the environmental hazards. Also, the cables are one such item that is present in extreme dust and waterlogged working sites too.
The first digit refers to the protection against solid particles in IP ratings, and the second digit refers to the protection against liquid or water. So, for example, if the component has an IP67 rating, it is protected against the solid particles of dust, and it can work fine when submerged in 1-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes.
Why is it Important to Install Waterproof Lighting Connectors?
The cables do not soak water, but after using them for some time, the connectors need additional waterproofing for protection against the water and vapor.
Usually, water does not enter the cables and connectors naturally but in vapor or gaseous form. Mini droplets pass through the connecting points in the cable, and once it is inside the inner lining, the molecules dissolve and accumulate on the inner lining due to condensation.
When this happens, the water never leaves the cable, and due to the pumping situation, more water starts to accumulate in a similar area and reaches the point where it is saturated due to humidity. Then you will start seeing big water droplets on the screens or other parts of the LED lights or other electronics.
Considering the above workings of the water and interconnecting cables, it is essential to install waterproof lighting connectors. The cables also need the same amount of attention as the LEDs and select an IP code that is best and optimum.
Use an IP protection rating, as we mentioned earlier in this article, to protect the cable and its interconnection against ingress.
What are the Other Applications That Require Waterproof Cables?
There are more applications apart from LEDs and lighting processes that benefit from waterproof cable and connectors, and some of these processes are:
Marine Electronics
- GPS
- Marine communications
Security Devices
- IP-CCTV
- Security Systems
- Warning Systems
Outdoor Displays and Signs
- Outdoor TVs
- Audio-Visual Equipment
Outdoor Lighting
- General lighting
- Building lighting
- Transport lighting
Industrial Automation
- Heavy machinery
- Conveyors and forklifts
- Industrial PCs
Conclusion
The LED lightings need excellent and effective water resistance, and for that, some parts and components need ample waterproofing. Some of the components are waterproof lighting connectors, the power supply, cables and connectors, face-plate junction, and cable network installation.
