Consumer units and equipment outdoors

        All boils down to what IP rating you need.

Bingo!     ?

The wholesalers previously stocked many variants of “outside socket”.  The posh [expensive] were IP65/IP66 the cheaper IP55 and the nasty IP44, which was only really for a grotty outbuilding not exposed to anything except mouldy air.   Now as there seems to be cheaper competitors to the masterseal , there seems to be only IP65/IP66 available. But of course, that could be seen as over the top for certain applications.  

        Drilling the hole, even a 0.5 mm hole, drops the IP rating to IP4<something> - possibly IP45 if the hole is suitable placed. Because IP5x requires filters.

Whilst we often talk about “IP43 minimum” for outdoors, I think you're missing completely the fact that in many cases this is woefully below what is needed in the real world - it's OK under a shelter in some places.

Around my house, we've found IP43 and IP44 totally useless - stuff only lasts a couple of years at the most. The wind sees to that, even where the vents or small openings are on the rear.

The market is the real world. What sells is produced in volume in order to make people price happy. The market dictates IP44 is sold as suitable for “outside” use, as it is; but not for totally out in the open use or all environments. You may find that the old, pre LED type security floods, though likely to rust solid, would function for  several years, though only IP44.  I have found that the cheaper end of the LED security floods, being sold as IP44 fail miserably on an outside wall, in comparison to the old redundant halogens. But these are done to a price. The IP65 versions are eyewatering and a hard sell ; a stand alone IP65 LED flood and separate IP44 PIR sensor is a cheaper combo and a compromise.

        All boils down to what IP rating you need.

Bingo!     ?

The wholesalers previously stocked many variants of “outside socket”.  The posh [expensive] were IP65/IP66 the cheaper IP55 and the nasty IP44, which was only really for a grotty outbuilding not exposed to anything except mouldy air.   Now as there seems to be cheaper competitors to the masterseal , there seems to be only IP65/IP66 available. But of course, that could be seen as over the top for certain applications.  

        Drilling the hole, even a 0.5 mm hole, drops the IP rating to IP4<something> - possibly IP45 if the hole is suitable placed. Because IP5x requires filters.

Whilst we often talk about “IP43 minimum” for outdoors, I think you're missing completely the fact that in many cases this is woefully below what is needed in the real world - it's OK under a shelter in some places.

Around my house, we've found IP43 and IP44 totally useless - stuff only lasts a couple of years at the most. The wind sees to that, even where the vents or small openings are on the rear.

The market is the real world. What sells is produced in volume in order to make people price happy. The market dictates IP44 is sold as suitable for “outside” use, as it is; but not for totally out in the open use or all environments. You may find that the old, pre LED type security floods, though likely to rust solid, would function for  several years, though only IP44.  I have found that the cheaper end of the LED security floods, being sold as IP44 fail miserably on an outside wall, in comparison to the old redundant halogens. But these are done to a price. The IP65 versions are eyewatering and a hard sell ; a stand alone IP65 LED flood and separate IP44 PIR sensor is a cheaper combo and a compromise.