Would a water closet, (ie,. basin and pan/cistern), area be classed as a 'wet area?'

As far as BS 7671 special locations is concerned a WC isn't special - rather like a kitchen sink - general rules apply. "Bathroom" rules only apply where there's a bath or shower.


General rules do require consideration of the environmental conditions though - so if you think there's a risk of splashing or whatever you might still need to adjust things slightly (as in the usual guidance that sockets are kept 300mm away from kitchen sinks/drainers). So just use your common sense really.


   - Andy.

Hello Andy,


Thanks for the reply!


I KNOW... I should be more confident BUT, I think as time goes by I seem to worry about everything! Haha!


Now, I thought... that there wasn't any distances' required for a kitchen sink... I guess the guidance book has changed, somewhat? 


I can keep the switch 300mm away from the WC's basin and it's at the imperial, haha, distance from the FFL @ 54".


Having looked around there seems to be the old 'cross-bonding'... I used to prefer that!


Thanks again!


regards... Tom

I have come across many w.c.s with a small wash hand basin and a conventional wall switch for the light. There did not seem to be any problem with that arrangement. People tend to dry their hands on a hand towel or use a hot air dryer before exiting and using the light switch.


Z.

I would consider it better practice to use either a pull cord light switch as for a bathroom, or alternatively a water resistant switch as used outdoors, that however is my view of good practice and is not a requirement.

BTW the light in my WC is a water resistant type.

It rather depends on the occupants. A toilet is not a wet area, if everyone is grown up and sensible.  But if small children are going to splash about in the sink, then maybe more care is needed. Equally there are places (scout HQ comes to mind) where even a pull switch is too easily abused (pranksters turn the light off while someone else is in..), and a PIR sensor is used instead.

Regs wise, no requirements.

Ordinary switches are allowed in bathrooms - outside zone 2.

What and where is the existing light switch?


Andy Betteridge

Perhaps it would be a good idea to install an RCD and a switch.

I can't really see that a plastic wall switch can be adversely affected by water in a w.c. Just what kind of activity would cause such a problem? Also it takes quite some pressure to get water ingress into even a normal common plastic plate switch. Light water splashes just run harmlessly down the front of the switch plate.


Z.