My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Property/DIY

Light zones in a bathroom

5 replies

Karcheer · 25/03/2017 21:02

I'm really confused looking at the pictures of zones of bathrooms...

What zone would a ceiling light above a bath be? Does it depend how high the ceiling is?
The type of light I want I think only comes as a zone 3, so I need to try and work out how far away from the bath it needs to be, and I'm unsure if my ceiling is high enough or if I need to move the light in front of the bath and if this is the case how much, because if it's a lot it won't really work, so I'll have to rethink...

I'm thinking this

Also what zone are lights above a vanity? Does it depend how far they are away from the tap?

Thank you.

OP posts:
RoganJosh · 25/03/2017 21:05

I googled it which brought up the following image which seems helpful.

Light zones in a bathroom
PigletJohn · 25/03/2017 23:18

that's not a correct picture.

Per Electrical regulations, Zones are measured from a fixed bath or fixed shower.

The pic also shows a zone round the basin. I believe this is an invention by the association of bathroom tilers, or some such, who are not a competent body with discretion to lay down electrical regulations.

Zone 3 does not exist any more, it was in old versions of the regs. A thing that is not in zone 0, 1 or 2 is outside the zones.

A thing that is more than 2250mm above the floor is outside the zones, so you could put a crystal chandelier on the ceiling if you wanted to, and it didn't dangle within 2250mm of the floor.

Here are some better pics and explanations.

Yes, ceiling height is relevant. A thing that is I would not force anybody to put a light switch near the basin, or a vanitory unit, or a bidet or a WC, but the picture is not an accurate representation of the zones.

Electrical sockets must be at least 3metres from a fixed bath or shower, which in most UK bathrooms you won't achieve.

Things must be suitable for where they are put, which IMO means not where the hairdryer can fall into the basin, or your weeing child can spray the electric heater, or the shower spray can squirt at the light switch. Yes, you can have a light switch in a bathroom.

Since the zones are measured from a fixed bath or shower, a room which does not contain a fixed bath or shower is not a bathroom so does not have zones (e.g. cloakroom).

PigletJohn · 25/03/2017 23:27

Also Rogan (sorry) I spotted that the pic you show does not show zone 2 around the bath and shower, for example when you might have one foot on the floor and one in the bath, or might be kneeling on the floor when leaning in to clean it.

RoganJosh · 26/03/2017 10:41

Oh don't worry about correcting me, I was more making the point that the info is out there. I'd said I'd just done a quick google but should have added that the OP should check it's up to date etc.

Karcheer · 26/03/2017 21:26

Thanks pigletjohn and roganjosh I'd seen a few diagrams just didn't get them.

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.