wet room floor lights

[opps]

Hi all

She who must be obeyed wants a wet room floor with lights recessed in the floor (about 4 spots).

Other than having the correct IP rating, I guess that they will need to be LV. I suppose that LED is they way to go but will they be cool enough to walk on and whilst the quoted lives are long, do you recommend ones where the LEDs can be replaced (in the event of failure) or would one have to replace the whole unit.

The lights won't be in the shower floor zone but I would expect them to get wet. There will be electric underfloor heating as well.

There will be about 6 ceiling LEDs and I expect that they will all be controlled via the same light switch. Should the ceiling ones also be LV given that I would only want one RCD fused isolating switch, and what would the fuse rating be? 3amps?

Any product recommendations?

Tnx

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think the way to go would be by having the floor lights on a 12V supply, this would mean a fitting would be required that would allow access to the transformer for maintenance, inspection and test.
LED lighting do not get very warm, so no issues regarding harm from burns.
Ceiling lights do not need to be 12V, that would be dictated by the zones.
I am personally not a fan of 12V lighting in general but as the location is one that the dangers are increased by introduction of water, it is one area I would be more than happy to recommend it as an additional safety option.
The location is one that requires RCD protection as would very likely any newly buried cable at any other location where cables are being routed.
If this can be done simply be installing a combined RCD/FCU then that is fine, the lighting load would need to be assessed with regards to the fuse rating required to prevent the protective device(fuse) overloading. And the cable selected accordingly. And it should be a simple process to configure a two gang switch for both ceiling and floor lighting.

Note this is a wet room and the safe zones will very likely differ to those of a standard bathroom. Building regulation will require notification for work done in the zones of this room. (The building regs within the countries of the UK all differ a little, so I advise you study them with regards to the location where this work is to be carried out)
And I would always recommend that the work be inspected and tested and those findings and results documented in the appropriate forms by a person that has the knowledge and experience to do this.

 

[bernardgreen]

She who must be obeyed will have to accept that the risk of damp patches on the ceiling below the wet room goes with having spot lights fitted into a wet room floor.

Any lighting fitting fitted into the floor of a wet room will be a weak point in the water proofing of the floor.

Hot and cold thermal cycling causes differential expansion and contraction and this will compromise the water proof seals in the fittings to the point they are no longer water proof. Not to mention the stresses imposed on the seals by people walking on the lamps.

There is also a safety hazard.

Spot lights shining up from the floor could dazzle people in what is already a risky place thus increasing the risks of falls from for example standing on a bar of soap unseen in the dazzle.

If she who must be obeyed insists on floor lighting then use a translucent floor with no punctures with the lamps underneath and accessible ( for repair ) from the room below.

Or use light guides or optical fibres to take the light from wall mounted LED units to the under side of the translucent floor.

Optical fibres could be moulded into the floor to create an array of very small bright lights ( like stars on a clear night ) in the floor.

 

[pjcomp]

An alternative could be low-level countersunk wall lights (like the outdoor brick lights) - you get the light at (almost) floor level without any of the water leakage worries.

pj

 

[winston1]

I think the way to go would be by having the floor lights on a 12V supply, this would mean a fitting would be required that would allow access to the transformer for maintenance, inspection and test.

The transformer does not have to be under the floor with the lights though. LEDs take little current so volt drop with a longer cable would not be an issue.

 

[333rocky333]

I am wondering if you should be looking at SELV lighting for this

 

[Lectrician]

Fibre optic run from a adjacent room. Seen kits designed for this.