Are you looking for more information on how to light your walk-in shower? Then you've come to the right place. When water and electricity come together, safety is paramount. But with the right lighting, you can also upgrade your walk-in shower into a real wellness experience. From the basics around safety to inspiration to make your walk-in shower shine, in this article you will find out everything you need to know about lighting your built-in shower.
Lighting your built-in shower: the basics
First things first. Before you can start picking out lighting for your walk-in shower, it's important to know what to look out for to ensure safety. Let's start with a crash course on the technical side of lighting your walk-in shower.
Bathroom zones
A bathroom is divided into 4 zones. Each of these zones comes into contact with water and humidity in a different way. Therefore, different rules apply to each zone to ensure safety. So depending on where in your built-in shower you want to provide lighting, there are rules regarding voltage and the water resistance of your light fittings. Want to know more about bathroom zones? In this article, we explain everything in detail.
IP value
Every luminaire is assigned an IP value. An IP value consists of 2 digits. The first digit tells you how well your luminaire is protected against solid particles. The second digit indicates how water-resistant the luminaire is. In both cases, the higher the number, the higher the degree of protection.
SELV: Very Low Safety Voltage
Even in a damp environment, such as the bathroom, you need electrical appliances and lighting. Each lighting fixture operates at a certain voltage. To ensure a safe environment, you are required to install your lighting in Zone 0 and Zone 1 in the bathroom at very low safety voltage, or SELV. Your luminaire must therefore operate at a maximum of 12V AC or a maximum of 25V DC. You can find this information for each luminaire on our webshop.
Ceiling lights in your walk-in shower
In your walk-in shower, you first and foremost need general or basic lighting. The most popular option is recessed spotlights.
Zone 3
Is the distance between the bottom of your walk-in shower and your ceiling more than 2.25 metres? Then zone 3 rules apply. For reference, in new homes the ceiling height is 2m70 on average.
Zone 3 means there is no direct contact with water. This zone therefore has the lowest regulations. In this zone, your lighting must be especially protected against steam and condensation. Luminaires with an IPx1 value or higher are suitable. In many cases, recessed spotlights even have a higher IP value, so you have a wide choice. Want to use recessed spotlights in the rest of your bathroom too? Then choose the same spotlight for the whole room, this uniformity gives the best result.
Placement
Recessed and surface-mounted spots provide directional light. So don't place your light point centrally in your walk-in shower, but choose to provide light where you need it. In the case of your walk-in shower, this is near your shower tap. That way you get maximum benefit from the directional light of a recessed or surface-mounted spot. Is your shower fixed to the wall? Then remember to place your light point ten centimetres away from your shower head. Otherwise you will create shadow.
A walk-in shower has a minimum size of 120 cm. You also need a passage of about 60 centimetres. A second light point can be useful, depending on the size of your walk-in shower. Are you also planning recessed spotlights in the rest of the bathroom? Then place the spotlights in your walk-in shower and the rest of the bathroom in the same line for the best effect.
Inspiration
Recessed spotlights are a subtle way of lighting. And yet you can go either way. Go for white recessed lights that blend into your ceiling? Make a statement with black downlights for a clean, modern look? Or go the extra mile with gold downlights?
Recessed spotlights above your walk-in shower
Atmospheric lighting in your walk-in shower
Besides general lighting, you can also choose mood lighting in your walk-in shower. Are you going for a wellness experience in your walk-in shower?
Zone 1
Lighting in your walk-in shower falls under zone 1. In this zone, choose lighting that is protected against water jets. Choose lighting with an IP value of IPx5. Important! In zone 1, it is compulsory to work with SELV (Very Low Safety Voltage).
Installation
The ideal way to provide mood lighting in your walk-in shower is in a recessed niche. A recessed niche is handy for your shampoo, but also allows you to provide indirect lighting.
Place the niche at a height of about 120 centimetres. Count on 30 centimetres as the height of the recess and 7 to 10 centimetres in depth. You can go either way with the width of the niche. Keep it small or have it run the entire width of your walk-in shower?
Inspiration
In a horizontal niche, you have two options. You can light it with an LED strip for a nice even light effect. Or opt for recessed spotlights if you prefer a light effect that fans open. Going all-in for the spa experience? Then you can opt for an RGB LED strip.
Can it be a bit different for you? Then opt for a vertical niche, where you provide indirect light on the side thanks to an LED line. Beautiful, isn't it?
Still have questions about lighting your walk-in shower? Our customer service team will be happy to help.