Bathroom Zones & IP rating

Lighting information for a Bathroom or a room containing a bath or a shower

Bathroom Zones and IP codes
Water and Electric don't mix, so in a bathroom we have zones for where water is present, zone 1 lots of water so greater protection against water entering the light fitting and the further away from water, the light requires less protection.
International Protection (IP Codes) taken from the NICEIC Technical Manual Part I section 141-1
IP Codes are made up of two numbers, the first represents protection against solid foreign objects entering the fitting.
The second number represents protection from water.

IP First Number
0 Not protected
1 Protection against solid foreign objects of 50mm diameter and greater
2 Protection against solid foreign objects of 12.5mm diameter and greater
3 protection against solid foreign objects of 2.5mm diameter and greater
4 Protection against solid foreign objects of 1.0mm diameter and greater
5 Dust - protected
6 Dust tight

IP second number
0 Not protected
1 Protected against vertically falling drops
2 protected against vertically falling water drops when enclosure is titled at any angle up to 15 degrees
3 Protected against spraying water at any angle up to 60 degree on either side of the vertical
4 Protected against splashing water
5 Protected against water jets (at a rate of 12.5 litres per minute through a 6.3mm diameter nozzle)
6 Protected against powerful water jets (at a rate of 100 litres per minute through a 12.5mm diameter nozzle)
7 Protected against the effect of temporary immersion in water
8 Protection against the effect of continuous immersion in water
Example a light fitting for Zone one has to be IP44 which is protected against a solid foreign object of 1.0mm or greater and protected against splashing water.

Zone 0
In a location containing a shower without a basin, zone 0 is limited by the floor and by the plane 0.05m above the floor

1 Where the shower head is demountable and able to be moved around in use, zone 0 is limited by the vertical plane at a radius of 1.2m horizontally from the water outlet at the wall, or

2 where the shower head is not demountable, zone 0 is limited by the vertical plane at a radius of 0.60m from the shower head.

Minimum rating of IPx7 is required

Zone 1
1 the upper plane of the zone 0 and the horizontal plane 2.25 above the floor, and

2 by the vertical plane circumscribing the bath tub or shower basin and includes the space below the bath tub or shower basin where that space is accessible without the use of a tool, or
for a shower without a basin and with a demountable shower head able to be moved around in use, the vertical plane at a radius of 1.2m from the water outlet at the wall, or for a shower without a basin and with a shower head which is not demountable, the vertical planes at a radius 0.60m from the shower head.

Minimum rating of IPx4 is required

Zone 2
The vertical plane external to plane 1 and parallel vertical plane 0.60m external to zone 1, and the floor and the horizontal plane 2.25m above the floor.
In addition, where the ceiling height exceeds 2.25m above the floor, the space above zone 1 up to the ceiling or a height of 3.0m above the floor, which is lower, is zone 2.

Minimum rating of IPx4 required

Minimum rating of IPx5 is required if water jets are used, if no jets are to be used an IP20 rating is required, all luminaries have a protection of IP20.