W: Water

What W tests

W tests resistance to fresh water at increasing depth and duration, with moving parts operating.

Medium

1. W tests shall use fresh, potable tap water.
2. Distilled, deionized, salt and pool (chlorinated) water shall not be used.
3. Water temperature shall be recorded at each step.

Note (informative): Distilled and deionized water conduct electricity poorly and can hide electrical faults that tap water would cause. Salt and pool water are planned as future groups.

Scale

W is graded on two scales.

Ladder

A step is one exposure at one depth tier for one time tier. Steps run in this order:

1. Each step shall be a separate exposure.
2. Time tiers 3 and 4 shall be run only at the deepest depth tier tested, and never at depth tier 1.

Note (informative): Steps are cumulative, like D and G levels: each exposure adds to the ones before it. Running time tier 2 at every depth lets the IDRS water digit be derived from the report.

Stop rules

Procedure

Procedure steps are written in the imperative and are requirements unless they say otherwise.

Before testing

1. Confirm the unit meets Test Conditions, including its W baseline.
2. Home tier: the tester may choose a maximum depth tier and a maximum time tier in advance. Only depth tiers the tester can physically perform may be claimed.

Each step

1. Expose the unit.
   • Depth tier 1: spray or splash, by a method [TBD].
   • Depth tiers 2–5: immerse the unit with its lowest point at the tier’s depth. The lab tier may instead use a pressure vessel at the hydrostatic pressure of fresh water at that depth.
2. Cycle moving parts during the exposure, [TBD] cycles per step (see cycle). If the unit cannot be reached (for example, in a pressure vessel), run the cycles immediately before and immediately after the exposure, and record this in the report.
3. Hold for the time tier’s duration.
4. Remove and dry the exterior: shake out water and wipe with a lint-free cloth. Do not use heat or compressed air.
5. Measure every applicable effect (see Measurements). Measure m after the drying period [TBD].
6. Grade the step (see Grading) and decide whether to continue (see Stop rules).

After testing

Grading

1. W shall be written W{depth}{time}.
2. A step is passed if no uppercase effect appeared after it.
3. The depth digit is the deepest depth tier whose time tier 1 step was passed.
4. The time digit is the longest time tier passed at that depth tier.
5. A unit that fails the first step shall be written W0 with its failure letter and no time digit.
6. Effect letters record the effects present after the rated step, per Code Format.
7. The failure letter names the failure at the next step on the ladder, per Code Format.

Examples (hypothetical)

Water-specific effects

Thresholds for both are in Effect Letters.