When choosing fixtures for a bath, you need to consider the features in which these devices will be used. The building includes several rooms, each of which has its own characteristics. Electrification of the building can be entrusted to professionals, but this will significantly increase the construction budget. Correctly install the fixtures in the bath and sauna on your own, saving a considerable amount. To do this, you need to know the rules for choosing and connecting lighting fixtures, cable laying and installation. The focus should be on safety measures.
Lighting requirements
When choosing fixtures for a sauna, you need to consider that this room is characterized by high humidity and significant temperature changes. Standard sconces and chandeliers that are used in the apartment cannot be installed here.
Lighting for the sauna must meet the following criteria:
- Strength. Products must withstand accidental shock, high temperature and sudden cooling. Shards can cause serious wounds, and in the dark there is a high risk of injury. Installation of decorative grilles is recommended.
- Water resistant. Water is the main cause of short circuits. In addition, moisture entering the hot lamp will cause it to burst. The required lamp protection level is at least IP54.
- Heat resistance. Lamps for the steam room in the bath must withstand temperatures up to 300ºC when installed on the ceiling of the room.
- Presentability The lamps bear a large aesthetic load. They should decorate the room, emitting soft and pleasant to the eyes light.
- Environmental Safety. The release of harmful substances into the air when heating appliances is not allowed.
- Fire safety. High-quality heat-resistant lamp does not ignite when heated or from a short circuit on the line.
- Durability. The materials from which chandeliers and sconces are made must be resistant to corrosion and mold. This also applies to their color scheme.
When planning the installation of an electric line, it is recommended to give preference to the wall option. This is justified by the fact that moist air accumulates under the ceiling, and in the steam room the ceiling is also the hottest place.
Lamps should be installed in all places where people carry out their activities - above the door, in the dressing room, relaxation room, above the font or barrel with water. It is advisable to install several light sources in each room. If one lamp burns out, people will not remain in the dark, which is dangerous for life and health.
The choice of place for lamps must be approached not only from an aesthetic, but also from a practical point of view. Sometimes you need to sacrifice beauty in favor of security. Each zone has its own rules dictated by the features of operation.
The following recommendations should be followed when conducting electrical work in various rooms:
- Washing. If a completely sealed product is used, its location can be chosen where it creates the best illumination. From the point of view of protection against moisture, the ceiling is the optimal choice. The upper source captures a large area, the probability of accidentally hitting it with a solid object is minimized.With wall mounting, there is a risk of water flowing under the finish, the development of fungus and mold there.
- Restroom. Mounting the chandelier in the bath is the best solution. The device installed under the ceiling creates a good level of illumination throughout the room. In this case, there is no discomfort for the eyes, since the rays of the source come from above.
For the boiler room, locker room and dressing room, the installation location is not important. People are in these rooms for a short time, a minimum level of illumination is sufficient.
Moisture protection classes depending on the room
When choosing electrical appliances for sauna rooms, it is necessary to take into account the damaging factors that can contribute to their destruction. These include the degree of heating of the base and air, humidity, spray and temperature changes.
The dressing room is a room that separates the street and the rest room. It does not have humidity and heat. However, the temperature differences that cause the formation of condensate must be taken into account. If it gets inside the device, it may cause a short circuit. For such a room, lamps of class IP34 and higher are needed.
The washing room is characterized by an abundance of steam and spray, which inevitably fall on the lamp. Here it is necessary to connect fully sealed moisture-resistant products with a hinged cap. Mandatory presence of silicone seals around the perimeter of the lampshade. The device protection level must be at least IP55 and IP56. This information is indicated on the case and packaging of the device.
There is no spray in the rest room, but there is high humidity due to steam coming from the shower and steam. Based on this, to organize lighting in the relaxation room in the bath, it is necessary to choose products resistant to corrosion and fungus. The best option would be a chandelier with 4-5 horns, equipped with a fiber optic light source. One such device is enough to create a comfortable environment even in a large room. The choice in favor of angular sconces is not wrong, but it will cost a lot. You will need to stretch the wiring to each corner and install one expensive lamp there.
Particularly responsible is the need to approach the arrangement of the steam room. In this room the most extreme conditions are created - heat, steam, spray and flickering brooms. Choosing for its equipment you need the most durable waterproof designs with a class of protection against water IP54 and higher.
Features of the placement of lamps in the steam room
In this room, all the “enemies” of the lighting fixtures are joined together - fire, moisture and high temperature. Lamps, shades and electrical wiring are exposed to heat. The wooden ceiling is so hot that it can melt the cable insulation.
Based on this, it is recommended to adhere to such rules for the location of lamps in the steam room:
- As far as possible from the heater to eliminate the risk of melting or fire.
- Hang in the corner. There the temperature is lower, and the device itself will not disturb anyone.
- Use products from materials that do not burn and do not melt - glass, ceramics, stone, metal.
- Avoid mounting on the ceiling. The tree may begin to smolder, resulting in a shorted wiring.
- Hang lamps from the side of the shelf so that bright rays do not blind the eyes of vacationers.
- Use decorative grilles. They will protect devices from accidental impact.
When choosing lamps, you should dwell on models that give a soft neutral glow of sufficient intensity. For a steam room sources up to 100 watts are purchased.
What lamps to use for fixtures in a bath
Choosing a lamp in the bath, you should think in advance what type of lamp it will be equipped with. Sources vary in size, power, brightness, durability, water resistance, and radiation color.
Depending on the operating conditions, these types of lamps are installed:
- Energy saving.They consume little electricity, but lose their functionality at high air temperatures. Designed for shower, dressing room and locker room.
- Halogen. Products are low-power, have a radiation spectrum that is pleasant to the eye. They can be used in any conditions. Look great in lamps made of Himalayan salt for a bath.
- Glow. Consume a lot of energy, burst when spray gets in, quickly burn out. The only plus is the low cost.
- LED light. Sources are safe in every way. LED sauna lights are a universal solution, as the products are resistant to heat and moisture. Available in the form of flasks and ribbons. With the help of ribbons on the basis of a well-composed drawing, decorative illumination with flicker and overflow is made. It is necessary to purchase heat-resistant LED lamps for the steam room, as standard products quickly lose their color from overheating.
- Fiber optic. These sources are the safest since there are no wires or contacts in their design. The wave is transmitted through plastic wires that are resistant even to the heat that is present in the steam room. They can be used in conditions of high humidity, including under water. Products are expensive, but reliable and durable. Their acquisition is a profitable investment.
- Luminescent. Differ in affordable cost, brightness and profitability, are not afraid of moisture. The disadvantage is that mercury is contained inside the flask. Depressurization of the device may cause poisoning by vapor.
When designing a project, the principle of reasonable sufficiency should be followed when choosing lamps. If installing LED bath lights in a steam room is a necessity, inexpensive sources can be installed in the corridor and relaxation room, with the necessary brightness. Large investments should be made where safety is the main factor.
A feature of the Russian bath is the presence of a steam room, which is heated by a wood or electric stove. The temperature in the room can reach + 200ºС, the maximum of which falls on the ceiling. In such conditions, household appliances either immediately fail, or break down during the bathing procedures.
In order to prevent unpleasant situations associated with the sudden disappearance of light, it is necessary to choose products that are resistant to extreme heat, mechanical stress, water and steam. Durable and reliable heat-resistant devices will not only provide high-quality and constant lighting, but will not fail even when the stove overheats.
What light sources can not be put
There is a list of fixtures that can not be used in baths:
- The composition contains plastic, untreated fire-retardant wood and other combustible substances.
- Products with open contacts. If water or condensation gets on them, a short circuit is inevitable.
- Devices with fragile shades of ordinary glass and hard plastic. They can burst from mechanical impact with the formation of sharp fragments, which can injure an arm or leg.
When choosing a lamp, you need to pay attention to its safety, efficiency, power, as well as design. The product should fit seamlessly into the interior without creating the impression of a foreign object. LED lamps in the bath can be used if the products are installed in waterproof caps.
Grid decoration
When planning the arrangement of the bath, attention should be paid to decorative grilles for lamps. These designs perform the following functions:
- Adding and adding variety to the interior of the room. Products look great in any environment, creating a feeling of comfort and coziness.
- Lamp protection against mechanical influences. A durable grill can withstand contact with the basin, hand and even the human body.
- Light scattering.The design makes the radiation softer and more muted, reducing eye strain.
Decorative grilles must be durable and have a low heat capacity so as not to cause a burn if accidentally touched.
For production, waterproof plywood, vine, solid wood, porous ceramics are used. Products can be in the form of a plate with holes crossing at different angles of the rails. Depending on the style of the room, flat, convex, concave or combined designs are selected.
