The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

PART P N.I. Sanitary appliances, unvented hot water storage systems and reducing the risk of scalding

Application and interpretation N.I.

84.—(1) Regulation 89 applies when a dwelling is—

(a) erected; or

(b) formed by a material change of use.

(2) In this Part—

“Domestic hot water” means water that has been heated for ablutionary, culinary and cleansing purposes irrespective of the type of building;

“Sanitary accommodation” means a room or space which contains a water closet or urinal whether or not it contains other sanitary appliances;

“Sanitary appliances” includes a water closet or urinal and a bath, shower, washbasin, bidet or other fitting for ablutionary purposes;

“Sanitary pipework” and “underground foul drainage” have the meanings assigned to them by regulation 78 in Part N; and

“Urinal” includes one or more slabs, stalls, troughs, bowls and other suitable receptacles.

Provision of sanitary appliances N.I.

85.—(1) A dwelling shall have at least one water closet, one washbasin and one fixed bath or shower.

(2) A washbasin shall be provided, in the case of—

(a) a dwelling, either in the same room as a water closet or in an adjoining room; and

(b) any other building, either in the same room as a water closet or in an adjoining room which provides the sole means of access to the room containing the water closet:

provided that where the washbasin is located in the adjoining room, that room is not used for the preparation of food.

(3) A water closet fitted with a macerator shall not be provided in any building unless the building has another water closet, accessible to all occupants, which discharges directly to sanitary pipework or underground foul drainage.

Sanitary appliances N.I.

86.—(1) Every sanitary appliance shall have smooth and readily cleansed, non-absorbent surfaces and shall discharge through an effective trap of suitable dimensions.

(2) Every washbasin, bath and shower shall have provision for the piped supply of hot and cold water and where a sequential single control mixer valve is provided it shall start from the cold supply.

(3) Every water closet and urinal shall have flushing apparatus capable of effectively cleansing the receptacle, no part of which shall be directly connected to any pipe other than a flush pipe or sanitary pipework.

(4) The outlet of an urinal shall have an effective grating.

(5) A sanitary appliance fitted with a macerator, pump and drainage pipe shall ensure the hygienic conveyance of foul water to an underground foul drainage system.

Sanitary accommodation N.I.

87.—(1) Sanitary accommodation in any building other than a dwelling shall not open directly into a room used for kitchen purposes.

(2) Any sanitary accommodation which can be entered directly from a room used for sleeping purposes, shall be so constructed that it can also be entered without passing through any such room, but this paragraph shall not apply if in the case of—

(a) a dwelling, there is other such sanitary accommodation within the dwelling which can be entered without passing through any such room; or

(b) any other building, there is within the building other such sanitary accommodation which is available for common use.

Unvented hot water storage systems N.I.

88.—(1) This regulation shall apply to any hot water storage system (other than a system or part of a system used solely for space heating or an industrial process) that has a storage vessel which—

(a) has a capacity greater than 15 litres; and

(b) does not incorporate a vent pipe to the atmosphere.

(2) A hot water storage system to which this regulation applies, whether heated directly or indirectly, shall incorporate—

(a) safety devices to ensure that the temperature of the stored water does not exceed 100 °C at any time; and

(b) devices to control the working pressure and to relieve excessive pressure.

(3) Any discharge from devices provided for the purpose of paragraph (2) shall be conveyed safely to where it can be seen readily and will cause no danger to people.

Reducing the risk of scalding N.I.

89.—(1) The domestic hot water distribution system shall be so designed and installed as to incorporate measures to ensure that the temperature of water that can be delivered is not excessive.

(2) The hot water supply to any fixed bath shall be so designed and installed as to incorporate measures to ensure that the temperature of water that can be delivered to that bath does not exceed 48 ºC.