Light switch in a cloakroom/WC

[mikej2005]

I have a downstairs WC (toilet and small sink). The previous owners hung the door the other way, so that the lightswitch was left behind the door - this makes it (obviously) awkward to get to, particularly as the window is small, making the room dark even during the day.

There is no convenient location nearby in the hallway for a switch and moving the switch to the opposite wall or even installing a ceiling-mounted pull-switch in the WC would involve a lot of hassle, due to the flat roof above and awkward shape of the room (it's under the stairs).

I've since swapped the standard switch for a PIR light switch which means that the light now operates without you needing to touch the switch at all.

My question is - as far as current building regs are concerned, are you allowed to have a standard (or PIR) lightswitch in a downstairs WC ?

Cheers.

 

[Steve]

With a sink and toilet, yes its fine. Its not a bathroom.

 

[mikej2005]

With a sink and toilet, yes its fine. Its not a bathroom.

Thanks for that.

We've also got a standard light-switch in an en-suite shower room (toilet, sink and shower cubicle) - is that OK too ?

 

[Adam_151]

As long as its in zone 3 or beyond, and its generally suitable for the external influences it'll be exposed to

 

[securespark]

There isn't much that's suited to my influences...

 

[mikej2005]

As long as its in zone 3 or beyond, and its generally suitable for the external influences it'll be exposed to

The light-switch is well away from the sink and is 1m away from the shower cubicle on an opposite wall, so it looks like that makes it Zone 3, according to the diagram here :

www.washington-lc.co.uk/ecommerce/Scripts/default~idPage~5.htm

However, at the bottom of the page it says :

"All fixtures and fittings in this room are required to be controlled by a pull cord, all switches that control lighting fixtures should be outside the bathroom with fixtures being suitable for use in the bathroom."

Is this advice wrong, just general (and not technically correct) advice or is an en-suite shower room not classed as a 'bathroom', therefore this sentence doesn't apply ?

 

[Adam_151]

No regulation requires pull cord switches in bathrooms/shower rooms, just as long as the switch is in zone 3 (a cord on a pullcord is allowed to drop into zone 2, but the switch must be in zone 3), and suitable its ok. However, I'd recommend a pullcord for most bathrooms, unless there is a good reason otherwise

P.S. next year we'll even be allowed socket outlets in the bathroom, that is, providing you have a bathroom big enough that you can put it 3m from the boundary of zone 1....

 

[mikej2005]

Cheers Adam - thanks for the advice.