Wiring Your Bathroom

Bathrooms have special needs when wiring them for lighting fixtures, ventilation systems, outlets, etc because this is a damp room. You need to make sure that everything is watertight. Yes, you can rewire your bathroom but if you are not sure what you are doing you should have a professional residential electrician do the work. They will make sure that everything is done to code and safely so there are no fires from something be installed incorrectly.

Bathrooms seem to be one of the darker rooms in a home so you want to make sure that you have enough light to not only light the room but to also enhance the bathtub and shower areas, mirrors, and closet. If the bathroom is not lit correctly it could lead to accidents in the bathroom like slip and falls. An electrician will know that when you putting lights in watery areas such as bathtubs, the Jacuzzi, or the shower the fixtures have to be watertight and have watertight lens covers. These lights need to be near them so that when you get in and out of these areas you have enough light to see where you are stepping.

Around or over your mirror there are three different types of light fixtures you can use, which are wall sconces, strip lights, or can lights. They need to be placed so ample lighting shines toward you when combing your hair, putting on makeup, shaving, and other personal hygiene activities. Light switches for the lights around the mirrors should be installed near the bathroom door or by the sink. The bathing area switches should be at least six feet away from the edge of the water. If you are not sure which would look better your residential electrician can give you advice. They will also know exactly where the switches should go.

Some bathrooms were put in without windows so in order to remove the excess moisture from the room along with any stench from the toilet area the electrician can install a bathroom exhaust fan to draw them out of the room. Some of these bathroom exhaust fan units come with a heater built in to keep you warm when you get out of the bathtub or shower and are drying off. When putting in electrical outlets you need to make sure that they are no closer than one foot from the sink but not over the sink so the cord will not hang into the sink. It should also be a twenty-amp ground fault circuit interrupter. There is a lot to consider when wiring your bathroom so to prevent a fire or being electrocuted you should have a professional electrician do the work.