Food and beverage plants: choosing industrial plugs and sockets for wash-down areas
Wash-down in food, beverage and central-kitchen areas means hot high-pressure water and detergent — even IP67 may not be enough. IP69 versus IP67, and how to specify for wash-down zones.
In food and beverage the difficulty is not the current, it is the cleaning: hot high-pressure water, foam detergent and sanitiser every day, which an ordinary splash-proof socket simply does not survive.
IP67 versus IP69
| Rating | What it withstands | Typical location |
|---|---|---|
| IP44 | Splashes from all directions | Dry workshops, offices |
| IP67 | Short immersion (1 m for 30 min), dust-tight | Floors after wash-down, outdoors, damp areas |
| IP69 | Close-range high-pressure, high-temperature water jets (80°C, 80–100 bar class) | Food and beverage lines, central kitchens |
Note: IP69 is not simply "a better IP67" — it is specifically about high-pressure,
high-temperature jets. Wash-down zones in food plants should be specified to IP69 rather than pushed onto IP67.
Our IP67/IP69 models (stocked)
| Model | Specification | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 13633 | 16A 500V 3-pole IP67/IP69 | PowerTOP® Xtra R plug (ErgoCONTACT) |
| 13642 | 16A 230V 5-pole IP67/IP69 | PowerTOP Xtra R plug |
| 5602407G | 16A 500V 4-pole IP67/IP69 | Wall-mounted socket DUO (interlocked) |
| 5604407G | 32A 500V 4-pole IP67/IP69 | Wall-mounted socket DUO (interlocked) |
Three practices for wash-down zones
- Mount the socket above the wash surface and bring the cable in from below, so water cannot run down the cable into the mating face.
- Use covered or interlocked models: covered when nothing is plugged in, locked while it is — protection at both ends.
- Check the seal regularly: the IP rating lives in the seal; hardened, deformed or missing seals mean a downgrade.
Reference: the MENNEKES
food industry solution.
Related: IP44 vs IP67 · how to count poles
Tell us the wash method (pressure and temperature), mounting position and load per circuit and we will specify a complete IP69 set. Contact our engineers
