Damp-rated lights are needed within 600mm/23″ of bathtubs, showers, or basins. Dry. Get tips from the pros at Destination Lighting on what damp rated means and find out if you need special lights for your bathroom.
Dry-rated lights typically handle low levels of moisture in bathrooms nicely because ventilation prevents the accumulation of too much condensation. In short, unless you're wiring fixtures in close proximity to your shower, you can use dry. It is worth noting that UL does allow for the use of dry location rated fixtures in areas where temporary dampness may occur, such as building construction or lights installed above bathroom mirrors.
In these cases, there must be enough ventilation, whether via fans or natural air flow, to prevent moisture from accumulating. Not every bathroom light needs to be wet or damp-rated. In most well-ventilated bathrooms, you can use dry-rated fixtures-except inside showers and directly above bathtubs: Shower Enclosures: Always use wet-rated fixtures to withstand direct water contact.
Above the Tub: Choose damp. A well-ventilated bathroom is considered a dry environment, with two exceptions-in the shower and above the bathtub. In a shower enclosure, you'll want to choose a wet-rated lighting fixture that can handle direct exposure to water, and damp.
"Dry" rated light fixture in bathroom? I bought one of the Contractor-Special Fixed-LED light fixtures at Home Depot. Upon opening it, I noticed that it's marked for dry locations only. It's not going directly in the shower, it's a few feet out from it -- but the room does get a lot of moisture and even a bit of condensation, even with the fan.
Therefore, bathroom lights should be a minimum of IP44 rated to be used safely in bathrooms, en-suites and cloakrooms. Can any light fixture be used in a bathroom? Any fixture installed in a bathroom should at least be rated for damp areas, because the humidity of the room can build up even if the light is not exposed directly to water. Using a dry-rated light in a bathroom poses several risks and should be avoided.
These lights are not designed to be exposed to moisture, and a bathroom is naturally a damp environment.