For developers whose housing is planned to be connected to a centralized gas supply system, it is extremely important to clearly understand all the subtleties of placing gas equipment in a building. One of the most common problems with this is the ability to install a gas boiler in the bathroom. And although modern heating and hot water supply equipment offers many options for installing devices, it is the bathroom, as the location of the boiler, that is considered the most problematic. And therefore, before planning the placement of devices, it is worthwhile to thoroughly understand this problem.
Is it possible to install gas equipment in the bathroom and toilet
Quite recently, to the question of whether it is possible to install a gas boiler in the bathroom, the answer was unequivocal, and as they say, it was not subject to discussion - "no, you can not." Until 2002, while the previous standard was in effect, it was impossible to install a gas boiler in the bathroom. The document did not stipulate any exclusionary cases or the possibilities under which such an installation would be possible, just a ban was in effect.
The new documents SNiP SNiP 31-02-2001 and 42-01-2002 "Gas distribution systems" did not add clarity, there are indications that it should not be installed in places of increased danger, and that it is forbidden to lay gas supply pipes through ventilation shafts, but directly, it is not said that it is impossible to place a boiler or a column in a bathroom or toilet no.
This state of affairs allows you to have a certain freedom of action, since if you are guided by the principle "everything that is not prohibited, then it is allowed" theoretically this can be achieved, even on official grounds.
How to read the documentation
The situation with permission to carry out installation is somewhat complicated by the confusion in the official documentation. The fact is that the adopted Codes of Norms and Rules do not give a clear explanation: are gas boilers allowed in the bathrooms. Many civil servants of gas refer to regulation 2.04.08 –87. It says about a ban on connecting gas boilers in bathrooms.
Nevertheless, according to the decree of the Gosstroy of the Russian Federation of December 23, 2002, the above documents and norms are considered invalid.
In the new requirements (document 42-01-2002) there are no clear instructions and a strict ban on the installation of gas equipment. As a result, misunderstandings arise. Some employees of the Gas Service simply refuse to install heating gas structures, without delving into the intricacies of the adopted documents and norms.
The process of installing and connecting a gas boiler
Without paperwork and collecting a large number of all kinds of permits, you can only install a new gas boiler or a column in place of old appliances in the bathroom. In this case, if a place for such equipment is already provided, and, therefore, there is also a permit, the employee will agree to make the connection.
What do you need to know when installing a gas boiler in a bathroom?
To determine whether it is possible to place a gas boiler in the bathroom, you will have to carefully study the current building codes and regulations and assess the existing premises. Here it is recommended that you first decide for yourself whether you need a gas boiler in the bathroom at all. Traditionally, in private houses or cottages for such devices, a special room equipped with forced ventilation and meeting all the conditions for furnaces and boiler rooms. The location of the boiler in the bathroom is a somewhat non-standard option, although in Soviet times it was allowed to combine a bathroom and a furnace in low-rise buildings in the private sector.But this, most likely, was an exception, and later, when replacing old gas equipment with new appliances, gas workers usually refused permission to install a gas boiler in the bathroom in the same place. Today, if we are guided by existing standards, and it is quite possible to fulfill all the technical conditions for this room.
The second no less important point that will have to be taken into account is to pay attention to the requirements of the manufacturers of gas equipment to the installation site. A bathroom, even if all the nuances of ventilation and dimensions are observed in it, will still be a room with high humidity. And high humidity, as you know, is one of the reasons why service centers will reasonably remove the device even with a partial guarantee. Alas, the control boards of gas appliances remain very sensitive to high humidity.
Basic conditions for placing a gas boiler in a private house
So, in order to understand the problem, is it possible to install a gas boiler in the bathroom, you need to compare the provisions of several regulations.
The current building codes do not directly prohibit the installation of such equipment indoors, but at the same time require that the following requirements be met:
- The total area of the premises must be at least 9 square meters;
- The room should have natural ventilation;
- Boiler power should be no more than 35 kW;
- There should be no high humidity in the room.
With regard to the total area of the room, it must be remembered that for a closed combustion chamber, the area is allowed to be 8 square meters, and for an open burner 9 is required.
For boiler rooms and rooms where heating equipment is located, a ventilation system is required. The only catch is that ventilation should be natural, in which air circulation is carried out continuously, without the participation of special devices and devices. The bathroom is usually equipped with a good ventilation system, but often this system is enhanced by additional equipment - an exhaust or supply fan. From the point of view of hygiene, this is good, but from the point of view of the safety of gas equipment, this would be a violation of the technical conditions for the operation of gas installations.
For private houses, it is allowed to install a heating boiler with a capacity of up to 35 kW in a kitchen or other room. For more powerful heating systems, devices must be placed in separate rooms, and this room must meet the requirements of mini boiler rooms, well, not a bathroom.
And of course the issue of humidity. The conditions for laying gas supply pipelines must ensure the integrity of the pipes and protect them from corrosion, which means that in a bathroom, as in a room where high humidity, metal pipes will corrode. So when planning the placement of equipment, the bathroom option is likely to be rejected.
Boiler installation requirements
It is important to know that in order to install a gas boiler in the heating system, the room should only be uninhabited. This is worth paying special attention to. People ask if it is possible to install a gas boiler, for example, in the kitchen or in the bathhouse, bathroom. Experts say that you can do this, but you have to make a device that will help remove all the products that occur during the combustion process. Installation of gas heating boilers in such rooms depends on how the chimney is installed. The latter should not interfere with the doors, and also comply with fire safety.
Boiler installation requirements
In the room where the boiler is located, you need to put a special system in which ventilation will be of a flow-supply type
There is an opening under the ceiling through which air should escape, above the table there is also an opening for entry. The height of these holes cannot be more than 30 cm, the height of the wall cannot be less than 2 meters, and the width is not less than a meter. If this is a country house, and its area is small, then you can buy a low-power boiler, about 30 kilowatts. To install this boiler and connect the heating system to it, you need a room with a volume of 7.5 cubic meters. In the case when the boiler is placed in the kitchen, then it should be 12 square meters in area.
What could be behind the installation of a gas boiler in the bathroom
Despite the fact that there is no direct ban on the placement of a gas heating boiler or water heater in the bathroom, gas workers are reluctant to issue technical specifications for such projects. Most often, they themselves offer not entirely honest schemes, according to which this room was originally intended for the installation of a gas boiler, but then somehow it changed its purpose. This option can really work for some time, but at the first check, it turns out that a redevelopment was made that was not coordinated with the project and the household will be automatically disconnected from the gas supply as it does not meet safety requirements with all the ensuing consequences - a fine, reworking the project, organizing new connection of equipment.
It's another matter when the project is actually agreed with the gas company and officially approved. In this case, you will have to do everything as the documents require - not only to provide a sufficient area of the room, but also to comply with all the recommendations of the gas workers. For example, in order to avoid questions, you will have to install a window in the room, make ventilation holes in the doors, lay a separate ventilation pipe with an outlet to the roof. Only in this case is it possible to obtain permission to install the boiler in the bathroom.
Pros and cons of installing a gas boiler in the bathroom
In order to assess the possibility of equipping a bathroom with a gas boiler, it is worth, among other things, to study all the positive aspects of this project. In a private house, especially if the premises are being redeveloped, the problem of placing new equipment is always very acute. That is why the option of using joint placement of a heating boiler and a bathroom in a bathroom is quite ambitious and has a number of advantages:
- The area inside the house is significantly saved;
- The number of pipelines is reduced;
- Hot water enters the bath faster, there is no large temperature loss;
- In other rooms, noise from operating equipment is inaudible;
- A window will appear in the bathroom.
On the other hand, with such a layout, there are a number of disadvantages that must be taken into account:
- The bathroom will have to be equipped with a separate ventilation system and constantly keep it in good condition;
- High humidity adversely affects equipment, especially electronic components;
- In the bathroom, in addition to the water pipes, additional heating pipes will be added, and this will take up a little more space.
Column in the bathroom: why is it needed
Why install a gas heater in the bathroom?
For people who do not have a central hot water supply, a bathroom with a gas water heater is the only way out. This problem occurs not only in private houses, but also in old-style apartment buildings. But if earlier the device was explosive, today the most modern models are available that completely exclude the occurrence of an emergency.
Many owners specifically buy a column (boiler) for installation in a bathroom or kitchen. This is especially true for families with small children: during the period when hot water is turned off, the column heats up the required amount of boiling water, which means you can take a bath and redeem the kids without running around with boilers, pots and other utensils.
Recommendations for the installation of gas equipment
First of all, it is recommended to carefully select the equipment for installation. For a bathroom, the best option is a double-circuit boiler with a closed combustion chamber. This type of equipment is best suited for small spaces.The wall-mounted boiler can be installed on an external wall, and the exhaust of gases and air intake is organized using one pipe, without large investments.
In order to separate the equipment from splashing water, it is recommended to wall off the boiler, this will ensure the safety of the boiler. During installation, observe electrical safety requirements - the distance from the sink or bathroom must be at least 0.6 meters.
