Rain – It happens, and certainly does so in the UK. Your electric scooter will get wet unless you never leave the garage. Even if you are lucky and never get caught in a storm or a passing drizzle, it will sometimes be difficult to avoid puddles, splashes, and drizzles.
How does this affect your e-scooter, especially the “e”? Let’s take a look at how your e-scooter handles water and when you should be concerned about how it might affect its performance.
Water-Resistant and Waterproof
It might be helpful to first describe some of the terms we will be using. The term “waterproof” is a high standard usually associated with clothing rather than hardware. It usually refers to a membrane that prevents water molecules from passing through, but allows air to pass through.
The applicable standard is water resistance. The main difference is how well an item copes with sustained and complete immersion in water. Waterproof means that an item will continue to function even if it has been submerged or immersed in water. It is water resistant if it can function normally in virtually all wet conditions except when completely submerged.
How to know your scooters waterproof rating?
The International Standard Protocol, also known as IP, is a globally recognized standard. It is commonly used to decide whether a scooter is waterproof or not.
IP values are two-digit numbers such as “IP 54” or “IP 67”. They indicate how well an electrical system is protected against foreign bodies and moisture.
The first digit of the IP classification indicates the degree of protection against solid foreign bodies and is not of much use for water resistance.
The second digit is what we are looking for. It indicates how well the components are protected against different degrees of moisture. Anything above 3 already means that the device is waterproof. A value of 4 is already very good and sufficient for dealing with rainy weather, while 5 and everything above is practically waterproof.
The numbers in the second digit stand for the following:
IP RATING DESCRIPTION
|
IP Rating |
Description |
|
IPX4 |
Resistant to splashes from any direction |
|
IPX5 |
Resistant to a sustained, low-pressure water jet spray |
|
IPX6 |
Resistant to high-pressure, heavy sprays of water |
|
IP54 |
Protected from water spray from any direction |
|
IP55 |
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction |
|
IP56 |
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction |
|
IP57 |
Protected from immersion between 15 cm and 1 m in depth |
Also remember that storing an e-scooter in a damp environment for a long period of time can affect its functionality, especially that of the battery. Avoid storing your e-scooter in such conditions and always give it enough time to dry before using it again.
Keep a cloth handy to wipe your scooter after rain and moisture, ride around lakes instead of through them, and you will get many years of high performance from your electric scooter.
How to make your electric scooter waterpfoof
Your electric scooter can be waterproofed in several ways. First of all, the plugs must be protected. For this you need to use dielectric grease. It helps to insulate the plugs from moisture and air. It also acts as an antioxidant.
Then use the liquid tape to properly separate all components except the LED indicators. It is best to use battery bags and potting components coated with impregnating spray. We recommend using a hot glue gun for this task.
If all else fails, we recommend that you start your journey with an e-scooter that has been manufactured with water resistance or waterproofing in mind. This will save you time and money, not to mention the disappointment when your homemade waterproof doesn’t stand up to the rain.
Waterproof or Water-resistant E-scooters
At Manke we stock some of the best, high-performance on and off-road electric scooters that are built to withstand wet riding conditions and electric scooters with excellent IP ratings for riding in wet conditions.
Visit https://mankesport.com/ for a range of Waterproof and Water-resistant electric scooters
