bathroom lighting - IP65? IP44? IP20?

[rob c]

hi,

I want to install recessed halogen lights in the bathroom, and I gather I need to use IP rated lamps in this location.

Packaging in B&Q suggest there are 3 zones in the bathroom, but does not mention IP ratings, so are these correct?:

- zone 1: directly above bath or shower (IP65?)

- zone 2: within 0.6m laterally of shower or bath, or 0.6m any direction other wet areas (IP44?)

- zone 3: other areas (IP20?)

They only seem to sell zone 3 fittings. I picked up a jcc lighting catalogue from a local electrical trade shop, they have some of all 3 ratings though the IP44s look a bit ugly, with a thick glass dome:

IP65 looks like it might be nicer: room is 2.4m by 3.7m. I was thinking of 6 lamps, maybe 35W each: 1 over shower & 2 over bath (IP65?), one would be within .6m of the shower (IP44?) and 2 near sink & loo (IP20?)

Does this seem OK?

I also thought I saw somewhere that IP65s should be 30mA RCD protected. True? If so, would it be OK to put an RCD in the upstairs lighting circuit outside the bathroom - it's the last room in the circuit, and a shaver socket is the only other connection. Other option would be using protected slot in fusebox for whole circuit, but I gather lighting circuits aren't usually protected.

thanks.

[rob c]