Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

PIR sensor bathroom zones and a flush ceiling switch

Updated: 23 October 2026

You want the bathroom pull cord gone, and a flush PIR from this amazon.co.uk set looks like the tidy replacement. That swap is the wrong part if the point sits in zone 1 or zone 2. IP20 does not answer the question. This page is the zone rule, not a second comparison and not a wiring walkthrough. The nine-row comparison is on the [Flush PIR sensor](/hub/electronic-surveillance/flush-pir-sensor) page. Peter F., DIY and tools editor, updated this on 20 October 2026 from IET section 701, the SELECT bathroom guide (2022), and Approved Document P (2013). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want the bathroom pull cord gone, and a flush PIR from this amazon.co.uk set looks like the tidy replacement. That swap is the wrong part if the point sits in zone 1 or zone 2. IP20 does not answer the question.

Our top picks

SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_A flush

Best overall

SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_A flush
9.4/10about £13.99
View offer
Sensky Sensky BS041 recessed

Best value

Sensky Sensky BS041 recessed
9.0/10about £12.99
View offer
SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_FA IP54

Alternative

SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_FA IP54
7.6/10about £21.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The three zones
  2. 2.Why IP20 fails the water test
  3. 3.Pull cord, plate switch, and a PIR
  4. 4.What this set actually claims

The three zones

Zone 0 is the inside of the bath or basin, and the minimum there is IPX7. Nothing in this set claims IPX7. Zone 1 is above the bath or shower basin, up to 2.25 m or the highest fixed shower head, whichever is higher. Without a basin, SELECT uses 1.20 m from the fixed water outlet. Zone 2 is 0.60 m beyond zone 1. Both are at least IPX4. For a shower without a basin, SELECT says there is no zone 2. There is no zone 3 in the SELECT or IET text used here.

Why IP20 fails the water test

IP20 does not meet IPX4. The second digit is what matters for water: 0 means no water protection, and 4 means splashing. Outside the zones, IP20 can be argued only with the rest of BS 7671, including RCD protection. That is not a sentence that says IP20 is fine anywhere in the bathroom.
SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_A flush

Testsieger

SEBSON SEBSON IR_ES_A flush
9.4/10about £13.99
View offer

Pull cord, plate switch, and a PIR

Regulation 701.512.3 bars ordinary 230 V switches in zones 1 and 2. The usual exception is a pull cord. The IET text says the cord may enter zones 1 and 2 while the mechanism stays outside. A flush PIR is not that cord. It is a 230 V switch in a body, and every listing here is 3-wire, so it also needs a neutral. A pull-cord point often has no neutral. If the three cores are not already at a legal position, this is not a like-for-like swap. A longer delay does not move the sensor out of zone 1. The stop line for the work is on how to install a flush PIR sensor.

What this set actually claims

Sensky BS041 says dry indoor, and that it is not for bathrooms. No IP figure is given for it. IR_ES_A, IR_ES_B, IR_ES_C and the Zquqwa are indoor IP20. IR_ES_D and IR_ES_E say indoor and give no IP rating. IR_ES_FA’s bullet says indoor and outdoor and IP54. The water digit is 4, so on paper it meets an IPX4 splash figure. The listing does not say zone 1 or zone 2. Do not treat that line as a bathroom approval. Two UK reviews say the timer failed. Danlers sells a separate sealed flush PIR for bathrooms. That model is not in this comparison. If the point is in zone 1 or zone 2, most of this set is the wrong part. A dry-room hallway listing is on the best flush PIR sensor page. Blank voltage cells are on the flush PIR sensor buying guide.

Common questions

Can I put an IP20 flush PIR above the bath?
No, not if that ceiling is in zone 1 or zone 2. Zone 1 runs above the bath to 2.25 m or the fixed shower head, and zone 2 is the next 0.60 m. Both need at least IPX4, and ordinary 230 V switches are barred there. IP20 is a dry-room mark. A review that fitted one over a shower does not change the zone.
What is zone 0, zone 1, and zone 2 in metres?
Zone 0 is inside the bath or basin. Zone 1 is above it to 2.25 m or the highest fixed shower head, whichever is higher. Without a basin, SELECT uses 1.20 m from the fixed outlet for zone 1, and says there is then no zone 2. Where zone 2 exists, it is 0.60 m beyond zone 1. Zone 0 is IPX7. Zones 1 and 2 are at least IPX4.
Is IPX4 the same as IP20?
No. IP20’s second digit is 0, so it claims no protection against water. IPX4 means the water test for splashing, whatever the first digit is. IP54 meets that splash figure on paper because its second digit is 4. IP20 does not. SELECT uses IPX4 for zones 1 and 2 and IPX7 for zone 0, not IP65 as a consumer minimum.
Does IP54 on IR_ES_FA make it a bathroom sensor?
No. The water digit matches IPX4 on paper, and the listing still does not say zone 1 or zone 2. It is about £21.99 with 3.7 from 19 reviews, the cut-out is unstated, and two UK reviews say the timer did not follow the adjustment. Treat IP54 as a splash claim, not as bathroom approval.
Why do people still use a pull cord?
Because the cord may enter zones 1 and 2 while the switch mechanism stays outside. That is the IET exception. A ceiling PIR is a 230 V body in the ceiling, and it needs a neutral these listings all require. If your only cable is the old pull, you often do not have that neutral in a legal place.
The listing reviews mention a bathroom. Does that make it allowed?
No. A review that mentions a bathroom, a shower, or an extractor is someone else’s install, not a zone rating. Sensky’s own text excludes bathrooms. The IP20 rows do not claim a zone. You judge the listing claim and regulation 701.512.3, not the review title.
Is swapping the pull cord notifiable in England?
It is notifiable under Approved Document P if you are altering the circuit inside the special location around a bath or shower. A new circuit is notifiable more widely. A like-for-like repair outside that location is the non-notifiable case, and it still has to meet BS 7671. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different rules. If the cores are not already in a legal position, it is not a straight swap.

Related pages

Flush or surface mount PIR sensor

Flush PIR sensor

Best flush PIR sensor for one dry-room job in the UK

A flush PIR sensor: the figures that decide the fit

How to install a flush PIR sensor in your UK ceiling

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the figures stored with these nine amazon.co.uk listings. No laboratory test was carried out. October 2026.

  1. Approved Document P, 2013 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: building work, replacements and repairs (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. SELECT bathroom zones guide, 2022 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. IET: section 701, locations containing a bath or shower (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Danlers CEFL PIR user guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Autenco flush PIR data sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Lighting Industry Association: inrush currents (retrieved 22 October 2026)