Before we get stuck into the technical part. Here's a list of our 3 best selling bathroom fans that are suitable for all bathroom zones;
Silent Tornado with Timer - A high power, super quiet, zone 1 wall/ceiling axial bathroom fan with a 5 Year Warranty
Tornado Turbo Tube with Timer - A powerful loft mounted inline fan with 3 speeds and a 5 Year Warranty
Tornado dMEV with Humidistad - A Low Energy, near silent operating continuously running dMEV fan with a 5 Year Warranty
Alternatively take a look at a few other fans that come highly recommended by the Experts at Extractor Fan World by clicking here.
So, you’re planning on installing a new extractor fan in your bathroom - but what can you install and where? We all know that water and electricity are not a healthy combination, so how do you know what is safe? Well, luckily there is a simple process in place to help guide you to a safe electrical installation.
The following information is taken from the 18th Edition website (Bathroom Zones 18th Edition Guide (18th-edition.org.uk)) and is guidance relating to locations containing a bath, shower or wet room, which is located in Part 7 (Special Installations & Locations), Section 701, of the bs7671 guide
With that in mind, please remember that this is general guidance as bathrooms and wet rooms come in all shapes and sizes, so for any electrical installation it is advised that an electrician undertake a range of safety precautions to protect users to insure a safe installation dependent on the space.
Zones & Environments
Bathrooms and the increasingly popular wetrooms are divided into different areas, or zones, which allow an installer to work out the likelihood of water exposure and therefore pick the correct product to install in the correct area that adheres to the safety regulations.
Bathrooms have three zones for bathtubs and shower trays, whereas wetrooms have just two zones. The higher the zone number the lower the risk of water exposure - for example Zone 0 is a high risk area whereas Zone 2 is a relatively low risk area. Each zone has a specific three dimensional volume and anything within the “box” created is rated as within the zone.
Before we look at these zones, there is one other piece of information needed. In each zone we will include an IP (Ingress Potential) rating.
All bathroom electrical appliances, including extractor fans and bathroom lighting are given an IP rating, which relates to which zone they are suitable for. The rating is notated as shown below where the letters ‘IP’ are followed by two digits. The first digit of an IP rating describes its protection from solid objects such as tools, insects, or dust - which we do not need to worry about in relation to bathroom zones. The second digit, and the one we are concerned with, relates to its protection from water and moisture. The higher the number, the more protection it has. Therefore IP ratings listed below will begin ‘IPX’ where the ‘X’ donates the solid object ingress potential which does not concern us and will then be followed by the number denoting the water ingress potential.
• IPX0 - no protection from liquids
• IPX1 - protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation)
• IPX2 - protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical
• IPX3 - protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical
• IPX4 - protection against water sprayed from all directions - limited ingress permitted
• IPX5 - protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - limited ingress permitted
• IPX6 - protected against high pressure jets of water (use on ship deck) - limited ingress permitted
• IPX7 - protected against the effects of immersion between 15cm and 1m
• IPX8 - protected against long periods of immersion under pressure
Let's look at these zones in more detail. To help visualise this, please see the diagrams below.
Zone 0
This zone relates to the inside of the bath or the inside of the shower tray that can physically hold or contain water. Electrical items installed in these areas must be low voltage, SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage - no higher than 12V), and rated no lower than IPX7. This zone relates to both bathrooms and wetrooms.
Zone 1
The area directly above zone 0, limited to a height of 2.25m from the floor to above the bath or shower. If the shower head or other water outlet is higher than 2.25m, this becomes the upper limit height of zone 1. In terms of width, this zone includes the full expanse of the bath or shower tray, not just the seating/standing area.
For free-standing or open based bathtubs, the area below the unit is also classified as zone 1 with the width and depth matching the maximum dimensions of the bathtub. If an enclosed bathtub is installed that has no access or access only via a key or tool to the underneath, then this enclosed area is classed as the Outside zone which we will come onto shortly.
In a wetroom, where a shower or water outlet is installed that free runs to the floor and drains without a basin or receptacle to retain the water, where zone 1 reaches the floor it continues around the drain away/plug hole at a radius of 1.2m from the plug hole.
Electrical items installed in this area can be mains voltage but must have an IP rating of IPX4 or higher and must be fitted to a 30ma RCD or equivalent RCBO protected circuit. Low voltage items can also be installed in this area, but the transformer must be located outside of zone 2.
Zone 2
This is the zone beyond zones 0 and 1, continuing 0.6m horizontally and up to 2.25m vertically and is only applicable to bathroom installations - wetrooms skip this zone and go straight to the Outside zone which we will come to shortly. As with zone 1, mains voltage items must be IPX4 or higher and fitted to a 30ma RCD/RCBO protected circuit, and low voltage transformers must be installed outside of zone 2.
Outside Zone
This is the area beyond zones 1 & 2 including the space above the 2.25m height (or above the water outlet if higher than 2.25m as discussed above in zone 1). Any lighting or extractor fan can be installed in this area, as it does not have an IP rating. Apart from shavers and toothbrushes though, no portable electrical equipment is allowed in this area.
Any ceiling pull switch for any associated shower facility should be mounted above the 2.25m threshold in the outside zone, however, only the operating chord is allowed to be present in Zone 2 and cannot be present in zone 1.
The following excerpt is taken from the 18th Edition website (Bathroom Zones 18th Edition Guide (18th-edition.org.uk)) and explains the Outside zone rather well: “Clearly, this space refers to the rest of the room, inclusive of the area above the ‘box’. This should be broken down into two fixed parts:
Part 1: This pertains to the space from where Zone 2 ends, up to a point three metres away from the outside edge of the bathtub. If this run is intercepted by a wall (which, in most domestic cases it will) then the zone accordingly ends when it meets this barrier.
Towel rails or heaters (supplied by 230V) can be installed in this space, but must be permanently wired into a flex outlet or comparable function. The outlet can be switched on either outside or inside, depending on client preference, but all circuits must be 30mA RCD/RCBO protected.
Sockets at 230V are not permitted, however if present in spaces beyond three metres above the bathtub, they become agreeable. Again, these sockets must be 30mA RCD/RCBO protected.
Part 2 alludes to the space more than three metres past the bathtub, immediate area above the box and the surrounding expanse at this height.
Candidates should envisage an imaginary line from the top right-hand corner of the box, all the way through to the opposite wall. Any space above this is included in Part 2. Ceiling lights will fall into this bracket, and there is no requirement therefore for these to be IP rated. All of these parts fall outside the measured ‘box’.”
We remind you that all electrical work should be carried out by a fully qualified and registered professional electrician.
