What are IP ratings?

What are IP ratings? Why is it relevant to lighting your bathroom?
An IP rating (or IP code) is a measure of how well a piece of equipment is protected from water and solid objects. It can be present on everything from smartphones to outdoor sockets but is especially pertinent for lighting.

An Ingress Protection rating consists of the letters ‘IP’ followed by two numbers.
The first number applies to the ingress of solid objects, foreign bodies or dust.
The second number represents the degree of protection for the ingress of water and fluids.
The below image show what each number means and allows you to gauge how enclosures with a certain rating would perform under a specific set of conditions.

So what does all this mean in terms of lighting your bathroom safely?
The 17th edition of the IET’s (Institute of Engineering and Technology) Wiring Regulations includes an amendment that designates certain IP Zones for bathroom-based light fixtures and at what proximity from a water source these fixtures should be placed.
The diagram below illustrates the relevant dimensions and proximity.

1, Bathroom Zone 0 is the area either directly in the bathtub or shower basin. These are areas where any fitting would actually be submerged and therefore require an IP rating of at least IPX7. The 7 in this instance denotes the fitting’s ability to prevent the “ingress of water in harmful quantity […] when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1m of submersion)”. It is worth noting that in the context of IP Zones there is no requirement for the enclosure to resist solid objects; if water can’t breach its barriers then its resistance to solid objects is naturally spoken for and as such doesn’t need to be defined.
2, Bathroom Zone 1 is the area either inside the shower cubicle or that directly above the bathtub (to a height of 2.25 metres). These are areas that will typically be subjected to multi-directional splashes and so would require a rating of at least IPX4. If this area is likely to be cleaned with focused washer jets then a rating of IPX5 is advised.
3, Bathroom Zone 2 is the area that sits on either side of Zone 1, sitting at a distance of 0.6 metres away from the bath and/or shower and at a height of 2.25 metres if directly above. These areas require IP ratings of IPX4. Though again, if pressurised water jets are to be used to clean this area then a rating of IPX5 is preferable.

Anything outside these areas does not require a fitting with a specific IP rating. However, it is advised that any enclosure used inside a bathroom should have a rating at least comparable to those above. This is because the presence of steam in generally humid environments can cause light fittings to fail, even when the actual risk of danger is negated.

Ultimo-Lighting has many bulb and lamps that suitable for bathroom use, like IP65 spot light and IP65 ceiling lamp, contact us to get the best quotation immediately.