Heated towel rail in bathroom Zone 2?

Phil_R · 2025-02-26T23:04:10+0000

Can anyone tell me if it's OK to install an IP66 or IP68 heated towel rail (240V not SELV) in bathroom Zone 2?
The towel rail would be connected to a fused outlet located outside Zone 2 on an 30mA RCD protected circuit.

brianmoooore · 2025-02-27T10:24:14+0000

That should be fine. It's the location of the connections that matter, not the posiition of the rail itself.

Phil_R · 2025-02-27T11:23:50+0000

Many Thanks for your quick reply. I am pretty happy to go ahead especially as I'm looking at an IP66 or greater unit.
Sorry to add a complication but I'd be grateful if you or anyone has a view on walk-in showers.

All of the zones diagrams show showers in cabinets with the zone 2 extending from a glass side panel. Loads of people these days have walk-in showers with access via a long shower tray and one glass side panel.

In such a circumstance does the zone 2 start from the walk-in shower tray edge so long as the glass side panel is protecting the appliance from direct spray and jets?

My feeling is that such a situation is equivalent to the zone starting from the edge of a bath-tub rather than the whole set-up being interpreted as a wet-room.

Apologies for adding such a complication but it must be a frequent situation.

brianmoooore · 2025-02-27T13:58:53+0000

Gets more complicated with wet rooms. Zones 0 and 1 are determined by a 1200mm radius with its centre directly below the water outlet of the shower. If there is a fixed partition as well, then this 1200mm radius ends when it is outside of the partition and at right angles to it. From there you continue on with a radius determined by this formula: (1200 - y - s) mm, where y is the distance from the centre of the 1200mm radius to the inner edge of the partition and s is the thickness of the partition itself. The centre of this radius is the outer corner of the partition.
The regs. make no mention of zone 2 when these formulae are used, so it goes abruptly from a combined zones 0 and 1 to outside the zones.

PS Electrics · 2025-02-27T15:33:13+0000

brianmoooore said:
Gets more complicated with wet rooms. Zones 0 and 1 are determined by a 1200mm radius with its centre directly below the water outlet of the shower. If there is a fixed partition as well, then this 1200mm radius ends when it is outside of the partition and at right angles to it. From there you continue on with a radius determined by this formula: (1200 - y - s) mm, where y is the distance from the centre of the 1200mm radius to the inner edge of the partition and s is the thickness of the partition itself. The centre of this radius is the outer corner of the partition.
The regs. make no mention of zone 2 when these formulae are used, so it goes abruptly from a combined zones 0 and 1 to outside the zones.

Just to add to the above great advice.

My understanding is if there is a drain in the floor and no visible tray or indentation to contain the water ie it is all one continuous surface (shower floor and bathroom floor) then that is classed as a wet room.