Is it possible to install a gas boiler in the bathroom: rules and regulations

Owners of suburban real estate at the stage of designing a heating system often ask the question: are there any regulatory acts permitting the installation of a gas boiler in the bathroom or should such an arrangement be immediately excluded?

You won’t believe it, but the question is really relevant, so we will help you figure out if there are any restrictive standards or not, and also whether it is worth it to argue with gas workers in court for the right to install the boiler in the bathroom or wasted time.

Why is there a heating boiler in the bathroom?

Very strict standards and rules apply to gas powered equipment. They sign literally every installation step and every square meter needed to obtain permission to commission the device.

The most logical way to install gas boiler in the boiler roomHowever, not every owner of a house or apartment can afford to allocate extra squares. Therefore, most often it takes its place in the kitchen.

But now the fashion has gone for stylish modular headsets, in the design of which the boilers fit poorly. In addition, due to the economy of all the same squares, not everyone can afford a separate dining room for a noisy feast, and again, the boiler can prevent active gatherings with friends.

In studio-type apartments, the installation of gas-using equipment is prohibited, since the kitchen area is connected to the residential area. The only possibility of gasification of such a room could be the installation of equipment in the bathroom, but current legislation prohibits this option

And you never know the reasons why the kitchen is not suitable for owners to install boilers in it. It may be a shortage of square meters, a studio apartment, a fear of fire or the fact that a small child will get into the device while sharing a room for cooking and so on.

The result is that, in fact, many people want to use the bathroom as a boiler room.

Rules and regulations

Position SNiP 2.04.08-87 on the topic of such placement of gas-powered equipment was categorical - 100% ban. However, as in subsequent editions, except for SNiP for 2002. Experts always considered such accommodation unacceptable.

And the last document that put a bullet in this issue is valid to this day. SP 402.1325800.2018 “Residential buildings. Rules for the design of gas consumption systems. " In it, in paragraph 5.6, it is indicated that it is impossible to place gas-using equipment in bathrooms and toilets.

Note that this document is mandatory for use, and, in principle, no documentation is required that regulates the norms and rules for the installation of such devices. It is also worth saying that the instructions for some boilers contain instructions on the prohibition of their placement in the above premises.

Reasons for the ban on the installation of the boiler

Everything is clear with the documents, but what guided those who developed the norms and rules and are there any reasonable explanations for why the boiler should not be installed in the bathroom and for what reason?

Gas equipment of any sample has metal elements that can oxidize upon contact with a humid environment.

Even the transit laying of the pipeline through rooms with high humidity, bathtubs and toilets, is provided from multilayer metal-polymer pipes or from copper pipes, in order to avoid corrosion damage and destruction

Failure to comply with these rules is already one of the main dangers of rapid wear of equipment. But, in addition, modern devices have electronics, which will be very difficult to tolerate contact with water or not at all.

Naturally, all these factors, plus the constant temperature difference, will negatively affect the boiler, but, most likely, they will simply disable it. But if contact oxidation occurs, for example, thermocouples - this is a clear threat of explosion.

However, not every bathroom will meet the requirements of the same SP 402.1325800.2018 by:

• volume of premises for gas-using equipment;
• the presence of an easily resettable window construction;
• natural ventilation with a design hood in a threefold volume of air exchange;
• glazed window opening, an area of ​​0.03 cubic meters. m. per 1 cubic meter m. the volume of the room.

Etc.

Code of practice and other documentation of this nature are developed by specialists based on years of research and accurate calculations.

Ways to get around the ban

Some, especially nimble home owners, try to circumvent this ban.

Even at the design stage, provide a voluminous kitchen in which gas equipment is installed and recorded. And after commissioning, plasterboard partitions are installed and in the resulting room, plumbing utilities.

Of course, this is done mainly in private houses, in multi-apartment buildings such redevelopment is most often technically impossible.

It’s good if the gas service is completely familiar, who during the inspection will turn a blind eye to the position of the boiler, but most likely, at their first visit you will be issued an act on the inappropriate placement of equipment

But at the same time, the above reasons already seem reasonable enough not to do so. And you also need to consider that modern gas boilers They have a connection to electricity, which requires increased protection against electric shock even in a normal room, not to mention a humid environment.

You must understand that the regulatory requirements for the safety of gas-powered equipment installation are developed for the benefit, protection of health, life and property of people and they are completely justified from a technical point of view.

Responsibility for violation of the prohibition

If you think that boiler placement contrary to building rules, the maximum cost to you is the requirement to do everything as you need, you are mistaken.

According to Administrative Code of the Russian Federation Article 9.4. such actions are qualified as a violation of the requirements in the field of building codes and regulations, which threatens, at a minimum, with a fine.

Ignoring the mandatory joint venture in the field of gas supply, you thereby violate the contract with the supplier, which threatens to disconnect from the main pipeline within 40 days after the discovery of such an incident if refusal to rectify the situation or immediately if the equipment is already defective and endangers people

By the way, such well-known manufacturers of boiler equipment as Valliant, Baxi, and many other world-renowned companies, in most cases, void the warranty on the chips of their appliances installed in the bathroom or other room with high humidity.

And here is another answer to the question: is it possible to install a gas boiler in a bathroom or bathtub - nobody wants to lose warranty repairs on expensive equipment.

If you really want a boiler in the bathroom?

In general, it is useless to argue with gas managers; almost never do they meet them on this issue. But if you wish, you can try to get official permission.

For this, an official statement should be made in 2 copies addressed to the head of the department of the gas supplier company. A copy of the room layout must be attached to the application.

The statement should be something like this: “I, the name, living at such an address, please give me the technical conditions that allow the connection of a gas boiler of such and such brand, power and maximum flow in the bathroom.” Next, indicate in writing the volume of the room, the presence and cross-section of natural ventilation with such a cross-section, the volume of the window, the presence of a door, and so on

Your appeal must be registered by the receiving party, an admission certificate is affixed, including on your copy. The organization will send a response with mandatory legal justification for the refusal (or permit) within 15 days.

With this document, if the decision did not satisfy you, you can file a complaint with the court, but, as a rule, the court leaves these claims unsatisfied. So do not flatter yourself.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Where and how to install a gas boiler. About bathrooms and not only:

We examined why it is impossible to install a gas boiler in the bathroom, both from the point of view of the law and with concern for your safety, as well as the durability of the equipment you purchased. Remember that saving space or the aesthetic side of the issue is not a prudent reason to risk your life.

Where is your gas boiler installed? Would you like to transfer it to the bathroom or do you already have such an experience? Share with us in the comments and of course ask your questions on the topic.