Installing Lighting Safely In The Bathroom

By Author: David Smith
Total Articles: 2
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IP Ratings

IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection'

An IP number is used to classify the environmental protection of enclosures around electronic equipment.

The first digit relates to foreign bodies such as tools, hands, fingers and dust.
The second digit related to liquids.

First Digit - Foreign Bodies

0 - No protection
1 - Protected against solid objects greater than 50mm2. (eg hands)
2 - Protected against solid objects up to 12mm2. (eg fingers)
3 - Protected against solid objects greater than 2.5mm2. (eg tools and wires)
4 - Protected against solid objects up to 1mm2. (eg small tools and wires)
5 - Protected against dust, limited ingress (eg no harmful deposit).
6 - Totally protected against dust.

Second Digit - Liquids

0 - No protection
1 - Protection against vertically falling drops of water (example, condensation.
2 - Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical.
3 - Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical.
4 - Protection against ...
... water sprayed from all directions - limited ingress permitted.
5 - Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - limited ingress permitted.
6 - Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (eg ship deck).
7 - Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m.
8 - Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure. (eg. swimming pools)


Example IP Ratings

An IP rating of IP44 is protected against solid objects greater than 1mm and water sprayed from all directions

An IP rating of IP68 is totally protected against dust and can be immersed under water at high pressure for long periods

The higher the IP Rating the more protection offered for your home lighting.

Having the right level of protection is especially important in Bathroom Lighting

The bathroom is a functional room, and the lighting priority should be given to grooming at the mirror. Lighting at the mirror serves for cleaning, make up, shaving and dressing, bathroom lighting should be plentiful and evenly distributed without shadows, and free from glare. Lighting in the centre of the ceiling, places the face in shadow and while useful for general lighting, will not serve well for tasks based here. Lighting at both sides of the mirror works best providing even light across the face and avoids shadow under the chin.
Fluorescent lighting is ideal for tasks and provides high levels of illumination with less heat and lower operating cost than normal GLS fittings. GLS or halogen, offer greater decorative possibilities and if well spaced and diffused, can be used very effectively.

Fixtures with diffusers (shades or glass covers) are the best to avoid glare, while fixtures with bare bulbs can produce glare in your eyes from mirrors. Ceiling fixtures above mirrors should be directly over the centre of the mirror and be in proportion to the mirror size for best results.
Recessed downlights have the benefit of being unobtrusive, but will produce shadows under the eyelids, nose and chin unless placed close to the mirror, spaced well apart and above a light coloured surface they will bounce light back upward to remove the shadows. General lighting from recessed fixtures will serve to illuminate spaces, cupboards and the bath, where some people like to read and relax. There are also waterproof lighting fixtures now available suitable for showers.

Installing dimmer controls for these fixtures is useful as they give attractive low levels of lighting for the evening and allow you to adapt the lighting to your mood and requirements. Candles can be added for that extra relaxing bath to soothe away the daily strains and add intimacy.

Safety Lighting and Lights for Bathrooms

Firstly it is important to understand the rating by which bathroom and some outdoor lights are classified. IP rating stands for 'Ingress Protection' and is always followed by two characters. The first character specifies the degree of protection against particles or solid objects. Starting with 0 for no protection to 8 for a light which may be totally submerged in water up to the specified depth. The rating which interest us are IPx4 (x is used in this case because there is no requirement in the regulations for a level of dust protection). Lights sold as IPx4 will have been tested for protection against water splashing from any direction.

Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower itself and any fittings used here must be low voltage (max 12V) and be rated IPx7 which is total protection when immersed in water.

Zone 1 is above the bath to a height of 2.25m. A minimum rating of IPx4 is required here.

Zone 2 is an area stretching to 0.6m outside the bath and above the bath if over 2.25m. An IP rating of at least IPx4 is required here.

Zone 3 is anywhere outside zones 0, 1, and 2 (subject to specific limits) and where no water jet is likely to be used there is no IP rating required.

The IEE Regulations do not make specific reference to wash basins but in the opinion of The Lighting Association they should be treated as Zone 2 (i.e. IPx4).

For further assistance just ask the home lighting specialists
About the Author Webmaster for www.washington-lc.co.uk. In addition I have a sound knowlege on lighting.