Dressing room mirror lights can indeed be installed in any bathroom, but because of the moisture in the bath, it is important that you pay attention to two things: the zone of the bathroom where you intend to place it and the IP rating of such a light.
The IP rating, or Ingress Protection rating, is an indicator used to tell the resistance of a light to debris and water. The first number in an IP rating indicates the way that solid debris interacts with the light, such as dust. The second number, which is what’s important to pay attention to when installing a light above mirror, is the protection it offers against water damage.
It is crucial that you pay attention to the IP rating of a bathroom light since the environment is often wet or humid. You should aim for a minimum IP44 rating but opt for an IP65 or IP67 rating when possible just to be extra safe.
Below are the liquid ingress ratings for you to get familiar with:
Level 1 – offers protection against any dripping water
Level 2 – offers protection against dripping water when the water is at an angle of 15 degrees
Level 3 – offers protection against any spraying water
Level 4 – offers protection against any splashing water
Level 5 – offers protection against jet water
Level 6 – offers protection against powerful, forceful jet water
Level 7 – offers protection against immersed lights as deeply as one meter
Level 8 – offers protection against immersed lights deeper than one meter
As for the bathroom zones, each one indicates the types of lights that you can include in various areas of the bathroom. Below are the zoning areas in a bathroom:
Zone 0 – This area is found inside the bath or shower and will require a rating of IP67.
Zone 1 – This area is the space right above the bath or shower at a height of 2.25 meters from the floor. It will need a rating of IP45.
Zone 2 – This zone in the bathroom covers a 0.6-meter perimeter positioned around the shower and bath and will need a rating of IP64.
Zone 3 – This zone covers of any area outside of the zones mentioned above. While it doesn’t require a special IP rating, a minimum rating of IP44 is highly recommended.
To safely install a vanity mirror light in your bathroom, it needs to be installed in zone 3. Generally speaking, so long as the mirror lamp or wall light above mirror is placed more than 600 millimeters away from a source of water, you can use it anywhere. This means that it can be used in a bathroom near the sink so long as it is properly mounted away from the faucet below to prevent any water from touching it.