Bathroom lighting

[Sickboy]

Hi

I trying to choose some bathroom lighting but can't fully understand the bathroom lighting zones. Can anyone please help?

The light will need to go about 30 cms away from the edge of the bath and 2.4m from the floor (on the ceiling). All the diagrams I can find show that if I am not directly above the bath, it is zone 2 but all the zones stop 2.25 m above the floor. If this is the case then surely any light can be fitted on a normal height ceiling which I know is wrong.

I believe the regulations also state "Where ceiling heights exceed 2.25m, the zones effectively extend up to 3 meters with beyond 3 meters un-zoned" Given this clause, why aren't the zones just shown going up to 3m above the floor?

Can any one explain this?


Thanks

 

[1john]

Your in an "outside zone" although in my mind it doesn't mean that you shouldn't use your better judgment when choosing a fitting. If there is a shower in the room I would always fit something with a suitable IP rating, as kids will be kids and they do some daft things, I certainly did, in fact I still do now!

 

[Taylortwocities]

It is, indeed, outside the zones, but you will still need to comply with certain requirements, like the fitting mustn't allow the passage of moisture into the roof space, etc.

Also, you'll need to get LABC permission if you are doing anything except changing the existing light for another one in the same place (ie no additional wiring).

 

[Sickboy]

Thanks guys but I'm still a bit confused. When does the 3m rule come in to play? My ceiling is more than 2.25 m so I thought the zones would extend up to my ceiling and I would therefore be in zone 2?

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

I believe the regulations also state "Where ceiling heights exceed 2.25m, the zones effectively extend up to 3 meters with beyond 3 meters un-zoned" Given this clause, why aren't the zones just shown going up to 3m above the floor?

Thanks

The zone height stops (as you rightly say) at 2.25m.

Where did you get the belief about the 3m bit?

There is a significance to bathrooms and a measurement of 3m, but i don't think its applicable in this context.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I trying to choose some bathroom lighting but can't fully understand the bathroom lighting zones. Can anyone please help?

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:bathroom-zones

 

[riveralt]

Thanks guys but I'm still a bit confused. When does the 3m rule come in to play?

The 3m rules applies to sockets in a bathroom which are an absolute no no except where they are 3m or more from the boundary of zone 1.

 

[Sickboy]

Where did you get the belief about the 3m bit?

There is a significance to bathrooms and a measurement of 3m, but i don't think its applicable in this context.

I've seen the 3m extension mentioned on several website e.g.
http://www.alllitup.co.uk/bathroom-....html?alu_name=redirect&alu_source=allupandon

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I believe the regulations also state "Where ceiling heights exceed 2.25m, the zones effectively extend up to 3 meters with beyond 3 meters un-zoned"

No they don't.

What you're suffering from there is a garbled and misleading written explanation of how bathroom Zones worked in the previous (out of date for nearly 4 years now) edition of the Wiring Regulations.

This diagram of how it used to be shows what they were trying to convey:

I've seen the 3m extension mentioned on several website e.g.
http://www.alllitup.co.uk/bathroom-...u_name=redirect&alu_source=allupandon[/QUOTE]
That site also erroneously claims that there's a Zone around the taps for a hand basin.

 

[Sickboy]

OK thanks for clearing that up.

I want to make sure that I have safe lights in the bathroom but was after something a bit more interesting than the normal bathroom lights.

I have found a low voltage wire suspended spot system (12V GU 5.3 bulbs). It isn't specified with an IP rating but is it ok to use a 12V lighting system if it is installed 2.4 m off the floor (above zone 2)?

Thanks

 

[riveralt]

I have found a low voltage wire suspended spot system (12V GU 5.3 bulbs). It isn't specified with an IP rating but is it ok to use a 12V lighting system if it is installed 2.4 m off the floor (above zone 2)?

The zones by the way concern areas of the bathroom where direct water contact could cause problems with the electrics. Hence the requirement for the lighting units to be IP rated in these areas.
While your lamps may be outside the zones, how likely is the bathroom to become steamy and damp?
I personally would not fit any downlight or surface mounted lighting unit in a bathroom that isn't rated IPX4 as a minimum.

 

[RF Lighting]

OK thanks for clearing that up.

I want to make sure that I have safe lights in the bathroom but was after something a bit more interesting than the normal bathroom lights.

I have found a low voltage wire suspended spot system (12V GU 5.3 bulbs). It isn't specified with an IP rating but is it ok to use a 12V lighting system if it is installed 2.4 m off the floor (above zone 2)?

Thanks

I think you'll have no end of greif with those kits.

They have completely bare connections where the fittings connect to the suspension wires. It's ELV so not normally a problem, but with all the steam and moisture in a bathroom I can see problems with corrosion and possibly even shorting of the ELV circuit.

 

[Adam_151]

In addition to points given by RF, another thing to watch if using ELV non IP rated fittings in bathroom zones under the pre-text that because its ELV there isn't a risk.... is that if you use an unshrouded halogen lamp close to where it can get splashed then there is a risk that a spot of water landing upon the lamp will cause the lamp to burst, getting glass everywhere.

 

[Sickboy]

Thanks RF Lighting

The bathroom is only used to bath our baby daughter at the moment and we take showers in another room so the moisture so be pretty low.

I think I'm willing to take the risk on the corrosion aspect but I wanted to get opinion on whether the lights are safe and legal to use in the bathroom.

 

[Sickboy]

Adam_151 Great point, I hadn't thought of that.