How to choose basic shower lighting?

last year

What’s the best way to purchase simple, water resistant, recessed lighting that’s designed to be in the ceiling in a standard sized tract home 60 inch shower?

Home Depot? Amazon? Specialty lighting store?

I want it to be tied to the switch for the existing exhaust fan light. So, whenever the bathroom exhaust fan is turned on, the shower lights would also turn on. That way, people who use the shower won’t forget to turn on the exhaust fan when they notice there is dim lighting in the shower.

Also, is it best to get just one light in the middle of the shower or two lights (one at each end diagonally from each other)?

Featured Answer

coastal_vibe

last year

Check your local code. In California, the fan cannot be on the same switch as lights.

Also, I was planning to purchase an exhaust fan with a humidity sensor on a switch and to leave the switch in the "on" position, but my contractor told me that exhaust fans with a built-in humidistat are available, which would made the switch redundant.

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Comments (13)

ladybug A 9a Houston area
last year
Home depot, lowes etc have simple wet rated fixtures. im.sure amazon does too.
chispa
last year
last modified: last year
I like to use two 4" recessed lights over a shower or tub/shower. With two you don't get the shadows in the corners.

I would not place the fan and lights on the same switch. Sometimes late at night I don't want to have bright lights in the shower, so I use a dimmer.

For the fan, get a switch with a humidistat and a timer. It will go on when it senses humidity and will run for X number of minutes and then shut off.
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jaxo
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Never heard of a humidistat. That sounds like it could solve the issue of people using the shower and not thinking about turning on the exhaust fan.

The fan already is on a switch with a timer from 10 - 60 minutes, but they often still forget to turn it on before they hop in the shower.

I figured that tying the shower light to the exhaust fan would work because when they hop in the shower and notice it’s dim and shadowy, they would hop out to turn on the lights and that would get the exhaust fan at the same time.
jaxo
Original Author
last year
What is the danger of having a fan on the same switch as lights? The current fan has lights built in.

I may look for replacement fans with a built-in humidistat to simplify installation though.

The current bathroom fans are at least 15 years old and may need replacing in the near future anyway. So, I might as well get everything new while the electrician is here.
coastal_vibe
last year
It is an energy conservation building code in CA to not have lights and fan on the same switch -- not a safety issue.
jaxo
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Do you lose the ability to turn the exhaust fan on and off manually with the wall switch if the fan has a humidistat?

Do you need to leave the switch constantly in the on position so it can turn on by itself?
wdccruise
last year
last modified: last year
Do you lose the ability to turn the exhaust fan on and off manually with the wall switch if the fan has a humidistat?

For the Panasonic FV-0510VSC1:

You wire the fan directly to the house wiring, not through a switch. That enables the fan to turn on and off based on the humidity. You wire a switch to the fan that bypasses the humidity sensor and allows you to turn on the fan even when the humidity level is below the level that would turn on the fan automatically.
jaxo
Original Author
last year
Also wondering about just replacing the existing wall switch with timer with a wall switch that has a humidity sensor built in.

I saw that Panasonic makes switches like that for their fans.

https://iaq.na.panasonic.com/smart-controls/ventilation/condensation-sensor-plus

Are there universal ones that will work with my existing Hunter Ellipse fans?

https://hunterpureair.com/products/hunter-90064-ellipse-bathroom-ventilation-fan-with-light

If I replace these Hunter fans with new Panasonic fans with higher CFM, is there a point were some code requires make up air like they do for high CFM range hoods?
wdccruise
last year
Read the reviews of the Panasonic FV-WCCS1-W and identical Dewstop HS-C00-W7. Note that they require a neutral wire. I'd just stick with a timer.
jaxo
Original Author
last year
I just had the recessed lights installed in 2 bathrooms

One came out well and one has minor paint/drywall damage around the light.

What would be the best way to repair this?

Does it need any putty or just paint?

What would be the best type of brush to touch this up without removing the light?
wdccruise
last year
"What would be the best type of brush to touch this up without removing the light?"

That appears to be a canless wafer light that's held in the drywall hole with spring clips. Pull down on the light to remove it from the hole. Fix the surrounding drywall. Then squeeze the clips inward and shove the light back into the hole. Example:
jaxo
Original Author
last year
I don’t want risk possibly making it worse by trying to pull it out, causing more damage and not being able reinsert it properly.

Would something like a cotton swab work for touching it up in place?