Bathroom Window Codes

[JamesD]

Does anyone know if there is a requirement in the Building Code that stipulates whether or not you must have a window in your bathroom. I am planning on getting rid of the window, for various reasons, and replacing it with a wall to ceiling glass brick strip.

I have an exhaust on the tastic and will probably put a vent in the room somewhere, but was just wondering about the openable window laws??

Cheers

[seriph1]

I dont think it is the window that's the issue, rather, adequate ventilation. - this is achieveable with glass bricks by running a ventilation strip along the top, the same as what is in a bathroom-style window. Frankly I wouldnt ask council

[Don777]

Frankly I would Agree with Steve, Since so many new home/ units/etc now have bathrooms with no outside wall/s or window/s and rely solely on exhaust fan for ventilation.

Fixed ventilation I think is only needed if you have a toilet in the bathroom.

But having said all that if you have a window ie light people with not need to turn light on thus if light and exhaust fan come on together no fan..
so there might be a ruling about the fan being connected to motion decetor...

Cheers and a glass of Red
Don

[seriph1]

FWIW I got approval on an internal en-suite with no window (reclaimed hallway section) by simply placing two automatic exhaust fans - one in the wall and running conduit inside the wall and through the floor, and the other in the floor, underneath a ducted heating grate - bit hard to describe, but made an enclosure (box) with the fan on the bottom and the brass ducted heating grate on the top, then fixed it into the floor and tiled over it. Added a mozzie wire mesg barrier inside the grate to stop any crawlies. The only drawback of this one was it was just next to the loo, so could be a tad "breezie"


.... took me bloody ages to think of these solutions though.

[silentC]

We put a bathroom with no external walls into a flat. We used an IXL with a flue so that it was permanently vented to the outside and we installed a 400mm light tube for lighting. Never mentioned it to council, what they don't know wont hurt them...

The PV rules applied to toilets or bathrooms with toilets. You used to have to fit a permanent vent to the windows. I don't think that rule is in force any more. The last one we did (bathroom + toilet) had an awning window with no PV and an IXL that vented into the roof space. Approved by council and no questions asked.

[JamesD]

Thanks for the infos.

Get the glass bricks tomorrow which will go in 2 wide floor to ceiling. I am getting two of them hinged (worlds smallest window ). Will also have the extractor fan (tastic) on the ceiling (doesn't come on automatically with light though), will put an air vent down near the floor too. All that with a nice 20mm gap under the door should be fine, shouldn't it?? The ceilings are 2700mm, so that should help a bit I guess.

[soundman]

I think the permanent ventilation pertains to the toilet issue rather than the bath issue.
I did an antenna in a unit development once where all the bath / toilets were interior. There was a roof full of permanently running extractor fans. Theres good thinking :confused:

[bitingmidge]

I think the permanent ventilation pertains to the toilet issue rather than the bath issue.
I did an antenna in a unit development once where all the bath / toilets were interior. There was a roof full of permanently running extractor fans. Theres good thinking :confused:

Most multi-unit developments are configured that way... something to do with the stupidity of the purchasers wanting to use all their limited external wall area for living rooms and bedrooms rather than toilets. I know it sounds far fetched, but that's what the market researchers tell us!


Actually it is a fairly efficient system, with relatively low air quantities required, and usually at least two bathrooms per floor connected to the one stack... on a ten story building that means at least 20 bathrooms per fan, and they also provide a slow change of air to the whole unit, which is hard to achieve with designs which by their nature don't have any cross ventilation.

Permanent ventilation is no longer required to a non-habitable room (bathroom) unless it has a wc pan in it. The Building Code is a little vague on how much ventilation is required, but a tastic should be enough.

Variable ventilation (openable windows) are required to all habitable rooms (basically living, dining, bedrooms) and the openings must be a minimum of 5% of the floor area of the room. ie a 10m2 room needs .5m2

Cheers,

P

[Paul B]

Our council wouldn't let us have a bathroom without a window. According to our draftsman, it was more to do with energy efficiency than ventilation. No window means the light always has to be on if the room's being used. So he drew in a window that will never exist, just to keep them happy and get the plans approved.

The really stupid part? The proposed window opens up to the underside of the second story, that's right, the window would open to underneath the house, and no light would come through it anyway. However, this is something that council has no problems with, as long as they can see a window on the plans, the rubber stamp can be applied.