If you’re renovating your bathroom you may be wondering if there’s an easier way to enjoy your music whilst in the bath or shower.
Luckily for you it’s very common to install a ceiling speaker in your bathroom, and it’s easy to do!
There are two main points to consider;
- Bathroom rated ceiling speaker
- Suitable amplifier
Speaker
As the bathroom is a damp and wet area with steam from the shower it is important to choose an appropriately rated ceiling speaker.
The bare minimum should be a moisture resistant ceiling speaker such as the Q Acoustics QI65C. These are fine for larger bathrooms where the ceiling speaker is away from the shower itself.
For best results we’d recommend an IP44 rated ceiling speaker. These should still be cited in zone 3 but they are designed and tested against water ingress to IP44 which means they are designed to last longer in the bathroom environment.
Amplifier
The bathroom is classed as a “special zone” which means you can’t simply put an electrical item within it.
You have two options for a bathroom speaker amplifier;
-
Remotely Mounted Bluetooth Amplifier
Using a Bluetooth amplifier designed for in ceiling use your amplifier is installed safely above the ceiling outside of the bathroom zone.
The speaker is then connected into the amplifier with speaker cable.
You can stream music from your smartphone via Bluetooth.
We’d recommend the KB Sound Select Star or the Systemline E50 which has an IP44 rated in-wall panel which can be installed within Zone 3 of your bathroom.
-
Active Ceiling Speaker
Alternatively there is a plug & play solution on the market from Lithe Audio that gives you an all in one speaker with a built in amplifier, rated at IP44.
Simply cut a hole in your ceiling, fit the speaker and power it from your lighting circuit.
You can then stream music from your smartphone or tablet.
Bathroom Zones
It is important to understand that bathrooms have dedicated zones for electrical equipment.
By definition IP44 can be installed in Zone 2, however we recommend that you keep everything within zone 3 then you can’t go wrong as some manufacturers state their kit should be installed in zone 3 to maintain the warranty.
Conclusion
It is both easy and safe to install a ceiling speaker in your bathroom and considering the high costs of a bathroom renovation, spending a couple hundred pounds on a ceiling speaker will be the best investment you can make.
Catch up on the news whilst getting ready for work, relax in the bath to a podcast or rock out in the shower. However you use your bathroom you’ll find it much better with music!
