Question

What does the IP rating mean?

The first digit is dust and the second is water. On an outdoor cabinet the front and the rear are rated separately, because they face different conditions.

Reading the two digits

The first number covers solids and dust, the second covers water. A higher second digit means the cabinet tolerates stronger water ingress.

Front and rear are different faces

The front faces rain and sun; the rear faces the inside of the structure. Outdoor cabinets carry a different figure for each face, and a specification that gives one number is incomplete.

Rating is not maintenance

An IP rating says what the cabinet resists, not that it never needs service. Gaskets and seals are part of the service schedule.