Bathroom Light

[chrisdicko]

If you had a bathroom with a light which was just a piece of white flex with a lamp on the end, what's the best thing to change this to? As its an existing installation can you get a shade for it, or does it legally have to be changed to suit the zone?

Cheers

 

[jj4091]

Light fittings for bathrooms have to be suitably rated, a ceiling rose with cordgrip lampholder is not & fitting a shade will not make it so. When buying a new fitting it should be marked IP** & you need one rated IP54 for zones 1,2 &3.

 

[chrisdicko]

Oh yeah sorry, I know that part. But how it is now just with flex, does it legally have to be changed? Or is it allowed to stay like that?

It will be getting change by the way, I was just curious.

 

[GaryMo]

Light fittings for bathrooms have to be suitably rated, a ceiling rose with cordgrip lampholder is not & fitting a shade will not make it so. When buying a new fitting it should be marked IP** & you need one rated IP54 for zones 1,2 &3.

That'll be IPX4, not specifically IP54 though IP54 would be fine, as would IP44, IP64.....

 

[Taylortwocities]

There's no zone 3 now but the fitting still has to be suitable for the environment.

 

[BS3036]

I understand the original question to be: 'Are you allowed to put a shade on a bare bulb which is already hanging in the bathroom?'

And the answer has to be yes.

However, you didn't mention which zone it is in or why you are asking the question.

Outside of zones, there is no explicit requirement for protection rating of a luminair, except (as mentioned) that it should be suitable for the environment - which is a somewhat subjective requirement. Personally I would go for an IPx4 rating ceiling mounted light fitting, based on the presumption that it can't then be wrong in anyone's book, and I'd feel safer.

If however this is zone 1 or 2 then a new fitting would be obliged to be IPx4. If an existing fitting, then changing it would be a Good Idea.

 

[chrisdicko]

Thanks for the reply. A friend asked me about, and I didnt want to bullsh*t him thinking I knew about, so thought I'd ask, as I new I'd get the right advise here

The current fitting is in zone 2. So obviously would be worth changing to something with at least IP44 Rating.