Standing for Ingress Protection, IP ratings indicate the level of protection against water, dust and other variations of foreign bodies. Finding the right lighting solution with a suitable IP rating is important, especially in the bathroom.
Knowing which IP ratings are best suited to the specific areas within your bathroom is crucial, not only can it make your bathroom a safer environment, but it also lets you rest assured that no damage will be done to your home.
If you’re looking at new lighting structures to integrate into your bathroom and need insight into which is the most suitable IP rating to choose, read on.
What are IP Ratings?
An IP rating helps decipher how effective something is at blocking out a variation of foreign bodies. Put simply, IP ratings help people decide which products are best suited for whichever area they’ll be used in.
When it comes to buying light bulbs for your bathroom, you should always make sure you’re choosing the right IP ratings. Choosing the wrong IP rating for a product that’s going to be used in your bathroom means that it’s more prone that an accident will happen.
At LED Supplier, we believe it’s important to have knowledge of the variation of IP ratings and where to use them within your home. IP ratings are there to provide you with the information you need in order to make your bathroom space the safest it possibly can be when electronics are involved.
Declaring the level of protection, IP ratings act as a guide for consumers to use in order to maintain safety throughout their homes. Consisting of two digits, the first number on an IP rating indicates how much protection your product has against solid foreign bodies such as dust, whereas the second digit shows the level against liquids.
Bathroom Lighting: Which IP Rating is Best?
IP ratings help homeowners determine which of their electrical appliances can go in certain bathroom zones. If you’re unsure of what bathroom zones are and how to choose the right lighting for each of the areas, follow our simple guide below.
Bathroom Zones
Bathroom zones are where electrical devices must have a certain amount of protection against water. The lower a zone rating is, then the higher the IP rating must be. Water resistance is key in a bathroom setting, and by following this guide you’ll be able to gain additional insight on which ratings to go for.
Zone #0
Being the lowest rated, zone zero covers the area that’s inside both baths and showers. These areas are at the highest risk of being submerged in water, which means they require a particular IP rating. IP67 is the correct rating to use, as it’s completely immersion-proof.
Zone #1
Zone one is classed as the area that’s situated above a bath or shower, approximately 2.25m in height from the floor. Within this area, your ceiling lights would be protected from a variety of solid objects, as well as any splashing liquid. The minimum rating for zone one is an IP44 rating, but we recommend a rating of 65.
Zone #2
Including the area that stretches around the perimeter of a bathtub and roughly 2.25m from the bathroom floor, zone two is also the space in which your water basins (sinks) and taps are situated. The style of lights in this area could include modern bathroom wall lights or LED mirrors. We recommend that you go for at least an IP44 rating.
Zone #3
Referring to the area in your bathroom where no water will reach, zone three is the least dangerous zone and isn’t prone to accidents related to your light fixtures occurring. In this area, you could have radiators on your bathroom wall, furniture or a toilet.
There’s no specific IP rating requirement for zone three, as the chance of water reaching the lighting in this space and causing an incident is unlikely.
Using the Wrong IP Rating
Using the wrong IP rating within certain enclosures could result in damage and accidents. In regards to fitting a light bulb above a shower nozzle, there’s a high chance of it not being fully protected.
Although choosing the wrong IP rating for places such as your kitchen, living room or bedroom is still crucial, it wouldn’t be as dangerous as installing lighting with an incorrect IP rating in an environment that’s subject to being immersed in water.
You could potentially be commuting health and safety breaches by using light bulbs that have the incorrect IP rating, which is why choosing the right rating is key. The last thing you want to happen is an injury to occur due to a faulty installation of lighting with the wrong IP rating.
We recommend referring back to our simple guide if you’re unsure of what IP rating to choose. Alternatively, we encourage our customers to hire a professional electrician.
Bathroom Lighting at LED Supplier
At LED Supplier, we have a wide range of LED lighting, ready to be installed in your bathroom. We believe that a bathroom is a space for you to be with yourself, get ready and relax, which is why we provide some of the highest quality lights for our customers.
As discussed, LED bathroom lights have a much higher IP rating compared to regular lights. Whether it be downlights, spotlights or a wall light, all types of bathroom lights need to be positioned in the correct enclosure that the IP rating suits best.
Being incredibly eco-conscious, energy efficient and low maintenance compared to traditional incandescent lights, our LED lighting collections have a longer lifespan and don’t contribute massively to landfills.
No matter your interior choice, our collection of high-quality LED lights will match impeccably. To view and shop our products, whether it be kitchen lights, bathroom lights, or even garden lights, browse our website today. If you require any additional information about our bathroom lights, feel free to contact us.
