Bathroom lights

[con1_uk]

Hello,

I want to change my single light in the bathroom to 3 mains spotlights (Zone 3) what size cable do I need please?

Will I need hoods? The void above the bathroom (lowered ceilings) is empty with no insulation.

Thanks.

 

[sparkyspike]

You need the same size cable that is on the rest of the circuit. Usually 1.0mm or 1.5mm on a 5 or 6A circuit. You only need hoods if you have separate accomodation above you, such as in flats. Even then, downlights with built in 'hoods' are usually cheaper than buying separate hoods.

 

[con1_uk]

Thanks, I will have a look in the morning.

 

[jockspark]

lbc in london say if you are recessing lights in a false ceiling under origional ceiling there is no need for fire protection

 

[GaryMo]

Also, there isn't a zone 3 in a bathroom anymore.

 

[sparkyspike]

There is in my bathroom! My bathroom is not RCD protected and has supplementary bonding also. 16th edition you see...

 

[GaryMo]

Still no zone 3 in your bathroom, you just have an installation which isn't compliant with BS7671:2008.
A mere code 4 on a PIR.

 

[Taylortwocities]

There is Part P in your bathroom though, so installing those lights is notifiable

 

[BS3036]

Zone 3 still exists (see last para of 701.512.3). It's just that we are now banned from naming it out loud, probably owing to some idea of pretending to be compatible with European standards.

 

[GaryMo]

So no zone 3 in BS7671:2008 then.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Not in a shower/bath room...

 

[GaryMo]

I didn't mean to generalise, I was in fact relating my comment to a bathroom in line with this topic.

As I posted above....

Also, there isn't a zone 3 in a bathroom anymore.

 

[BS3036]

Oh Garymo, I wasn't trying to start a row. Just trying to point out the 2 faced nature of the regs.

It seems that we are trying to get the spec wording the same as (e.g.) the Germans, but still not to allow sockets in bathrooms. Surely they can't have it both ways.

 

[plugwash]

IIRC we do allow sockets in bathrooms now though the regs on where they can be placed mean only fairly large bathrooms can have them.

One step at a time

 

[BS3036]

Yes, that's right. I just wish I had a bathroom that big!

Slightly OT:
I always get so jealous in Germany. The house we stayed in 2 weeks ago had 3 sockets arranged around the basin. Of course the house was wired with lots of 16A radials, with alternating phases from one to the next. A slightly strange thing was the cooker, which had all three phases, on separate 16A MCBs. I did expect them to be linked, but they weren't.