Lighting Zones: the simple way to bathroom safety
Bathroom lighting has so many requirements to fulfil that it can be confusing and worrying to install. The good news is that it needn’t be a worry if you understand the lighting zone system, which was devised by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE).
Mindful of the bathroom hazards of water and steam, the IEE put together a simple system based on danger zones. For instance, the area immediately around the bath or wash basin is more dangerous in terms of electrical hazard than the area by the bathroom door.
The other aspect of the bathroom hazard is the electrical equipment itself; in terms of lighting this covers items such as bathroom mirror lighting, ceiling lighting, and downlighting. When you start to shop for your bathroom light fittings, you should ensure that any form of lighting or electrical equipment conforms to the updated lighting zones as explained below.
In the 17th edition of their bathroom wiring regulations, The IEE renewed the zone system; the major difference is the removal of Zone 3. The updated scheme is shown below:
| Zone | Location | Equipment |
| Zone 0 | The interior of the bath or shower, which can hold water | Requires electrical products to be low voltage (maximum 12 volts) and to be IPX7 (the mechanical protection is unimportant) |
| Zone 1 | The area directly above Zone 0, limited vertically to 2.25m above the bottom of the bath or shower.
Also 1.2m horizontally from the centre of the shower outlet to the height of the outlet, or 2.25m, whichever is higher |
Requires electrical products to be IPX4 or better, or SELV with the transformer located beyond Zone 2 |
| Zone 2 | The area beyond Zones 0 and 1, 0.6m horizontally and up to 2.25m vertically.
Zone 2 also included any recessed window with a sill next to the bath |
Requires electrical products to be IPX4 or better, or SELV with the transformer located beyond Zone 2 |
| Beyond Zone 2 | When the size of the bathroom extends beyond Zone 2, portable equipment is allowed, however they should be positioned such that their flex length does not enable them to be used in Zone 2. |
Image from IEE Wiring Regulations, 17th Edition, January 2008
An Explanation of IP Ratings
The ability of electrical apparatus to withstand the penetration of steam/moisture or water is expresses as an IP rating; IP is an acronym for Ingress protection.
The IP rating is expressed by two numbers. The first figure tells you how well the apparatus withstands ingress by water; the second figure denotes the degree of protection against moisture.
For the purposes of lighting your bathroom, you need to take note of the second figure. Normal household lights tend to have a rating of IP 20; the zero tells you that they have no resistance to the ingress of moisture.
Take a look at the table above, which shows the requisite IP ratings for the bathroom. For the safety of yourself and your family, it is vital to adhere to these updated bathroom lighting zones.
Tags: Bathroom Lighting Zones
