We often get asked with help to select the appropriate lighting for bathrooms. As this is a multi-use room not only must the light itself look great, it must be suitable for a variety of task such as, shaving, washing and relaxing.
We have a great selection of bathroom ceiling and wall lights, in a varied range to suit your requirements. Our selection of lights will turn your dull bathroom into something new and beautiful, creating a relaxing atmosphere.
As we know water and electricity are not a good combination, therefore the bathroom has specific zones. The zones are used as a guide to advise the type of lights and where they can go in your bathroom based on how exposed they are to water.
IP ratings (ingress Protection or International Protection and Bathroom Zones
An IP rating code classifies the level of protection by an enclosure for electrical equipment with a rated voltage. IP ratings are defined by the International Standards EN 60529 (British Standards BS EN 60529:1992).
Bathrooms Zones are broken down into 4 Zones:
Zone 0 - Inside the bath or shower. Any fitting used in this zone must be low voltage (max. 12v) and be rated at least IP67, which is totally immersion proof.
Zone 1 - This is the area above the bath or shower to a height of 2.25m from the floor. In this zone the minimum rating of IP45 is required but generally accepted that IP65 is used.
Zone 2 - This is the areas 0.6m outside the perimeter of the bath and to a height of 2.25m from the floor. In this zone the minimum rating of IP44 is required.
Outside Zones - Anywhere outside zones 0, 1 and 2, where no waterjets are likely to be used, there is no special IP requirements but we would suggest a light with an IP rating of IP20+.
What the IP rating number means:
The letters IP (Ingress Protection or International Protection) are used to define the protection within an electrical enclosure.
The first number tells us the level of protection against hazardous parts (eg. dust) and the second number tells us the protection against moisture (eg. water)
| First Digit (Ingress of Solid objects) | First Digit (Ingress of Solid objects) |
| 0 - No Protection | 0 - No Protection |
| 1 - Protection against penetration by solid objects 50mm+ | 1 - Protected from vertically falling drops |
| 1 - Protection against penetration by solid objects 12mm+ | 2 - Protected from water drops falling at a max angle of 15° |
| 3 - Protection against penetration by solid objects 2.5mm+ | 3 - Protected from water drops falling at a max angle of 60° |
| 4 - Protection against penetration by solid objects 1mm+ | 4 - Protected from splashing or projection |
| 5 - Dust Protection | 5 - Protected from low pressure jets |
| 6 - Dust Tight | 6 - Protected from high pressure jets |
| 7 - Protected from temporary immersion | |
| 8 - Protected against long periods of immersion |
