BATHROOM ZONES
IP RATINGS
The IP (Ingress Protection) rating is a two digit code given to a piece of electrical apparatus that indicates the degree of protection its enclosure provides from dust, water and impact.
PROTECTION AGAINST SOLID OBJECTS PROTECTION AGAINST WATER
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
No protection
No protection
Protected against a solid object greater than 50mm (eg. a hand) Protected against solid objects over 12mm (eg. fingers) Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (eg. tools) Protected against solid objects over 1mm (eg. wire) Limited ingress of dust permitted with no harmful deposit
Protected against vertical falling drops of water (eg. condensation) Protected against water drops at a 15 degree angle from the vertical Protected against sprays up to 60 degrees from the vertical Protected against sprays from any angle (eg. splashes of water) Protected against light water jets from any direction
Using electrical equipment in bathrooms or wet rooms requires attention to safety. The IEE Wiring Regulations (18th Edition) have identified particular zones within the bathroom to indicate what type of electrical equipment can be installed.
ZONE 1 Up to 2250mm above bath, shower or wet room basin. A minimum rating of IP44. For 240V fittings, a 30ma RCD must also be used to protect the circuit.
ZONE 2 600mm outside a bath, shower, sink or water outlet.
OUTSIDE ZONES Anywhere outside zones 0, 1 and 2, where water jets are not used for cleaning purposes, the general rules of BS7671 apply.
ZONE 0 Inside the bath, shower or wet room zone. This area requires a minimum rating of IP67 and must be low voltage (12V max).
Completely protected against ingress of dust
Pretected against powerful water jets
Protected against water immersion (up to 30mins between 15cm and 1m) Protected against long periods of water immersion under pressure
A rating of at least IP44 is required.
1ST NUMBER
2ND NUMBER
18
19
BATHROOM ZONES & IP RATING GUIDE
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