RCD protection in bathroom

[STI]

If i am reading the regs correctly all the circiuts in a bathroom should be protected by an RCD.
If however my existing installation is pre 17th i only need to upgrade the protection if i do alterations (i am aware of notification etc)

The bit i would like clarification/help on is if i have a new lights installed which are above 2.25m off the floor therefore outside of the zones would i still need to install an RCD for that lighting circuit.

And moving into the purely hypothetical, if i also had lets say an electric towel rail already installed on a different circuit in a zone (not 0!!) would the addition of the new lights mean that this towel rail would also now need to be RCD protected

 

[bigstevex]

Strange i was just about to ask roughly the same question,

I'm installing lights ip44 near zone 1 and my lighting circuits aren't on the RCD, can i have a spark change thevother half of my split load CU put on a seperate 30ma rcd?

 

[AaronMarshall]

Hi guys,
As STI stated, If your altering the circuit at all (for example, installing down lights from a centre light or altering the towel rail) then yes it would have to be RCD protected.

The Zones refer to the required IP rating of the fixtures and fittings you are installing. So if the lights are above 2.25m then the IP rating would have to satisfy the the relevent zone that they are situated.

Big steve, the easiest way is to replace the mcb for the revelant lighting circuit to a RCBO. They cost around £25. This will ensure the entire circuit is RCD protected, Quick and easy assuming the circuit is satisfactory. Putting a 30ma RCD on the rest of the circuits MAY open up potential probs.

 

[STI]

Aaron Marshall thanks for the reply and clarifying the zones, i thought maybe being outside the zone meant it was not classed as being in the bathroom, but i am now clear.

However just going back to the towel rail, if this was already in place before the lights where done, it was not touched or altered in any way and was on a completely seperate circuit to the lights, would i now also need to protect this circuit with an RCD because i have altered the lights, or is it only the circuit that is being altered that needs to be protected.