Laundry equipment in bathroom

[Steven Hockstein]

Can someone give me a code reference that prohibits laundry equipment in bathrooms?

[Mike Lamb]

If it's a gas dryer?

IRC M1701.4 Prohibited sources. Combustion air ducts and openings

shall not connect appliance enclosures with space in which

the operation of a fan may adversely affect the flow of combustion

air. Combustion air shall not be obtained from an area in

which flammable vapors present a hazard. Fuel-fired appliances

shall not obtain combustion air from any ofthe following

rooms or spaces:

1. Sleeping rooms.

2. Bathrooms.

3. Toilet rooms.

[Tom Raymond]

There is no way a bathroom exhaust fan (or any copious amounts of methane gas for that matter) is going to adversely affect the combustion air of a gas drier. I've tried.

[Jim Baird]

No, but I knew a couple that bought a new little split level in the early 80's that had a half-bath shoehorned into the laundry room on the lower side. When they bought a new clothes washer they had to remove the toilet to change out the appliances!

[inspector57]

There is none unless the listing of the particular equipment prohibits the installation in the area for other reasons as Mike posted.

[kurt]

There is no way a bathroom exhaust fan (or any copious amounts of methane gas for that matter) is going to adversely affect the combustion air of a gas drier. I've tried.

When you factor in combustion air and make up air for the dryer, things can get problematic.

[Steven Hockstein]

The reason I asked is because I am getting grief from a construction official that insists there is a problem with laundry equipment in a basement bathroom. We are working on another part of the house and he has called it out as a problem. I am in the process of showing him that we did not do any work in the basement bathroom. He has not told me why it is problemiatic and I can't find out the code citation because he is a part time official and won't be back until Thursday.

[Bain]

I researched this once, and couldn't find one manufacturer that required make-up air vents for a gas clothes dryer in an enclosed space.

I even asked a couple of trusted HVAC contractors, and they agreed that combustion air requirements don't apply to dryers.

It still doesn't make sense, 'cause the exhaust is coming from SOMEwhere, but that apparently is just how it is.

[Marc]

Maybe its because the gas dryer has a stronger fan in it, yielding copius amounts of air, much more than needed just for combustion of the gas.

Marc

[kurt]

This is easy for me, as Chicago has prescriptive guidelines that say you can't do it. Don't know what it's like elsewhere. Doesn't the NFGC say nix?

The trusted HVAC guys are wrong; typical tunnel vision trades guys. They think because it's not listed, then somehow magically it doesn't need combustion air. It's BTU's; it needs air. Couple it with make up air requirements, and it only makes sense it would need air from someplace.

[Erby]

Doesn't Mike's post above give chapter and verse??

[kurt]

I thought it did. I'm sorta surprised folks think laundry equipment doesn't need combustion or make up air.

[Darren]

I researched this once, and couldn't find one manufacturer that required make-up air vents for a gas clothes dryer in an enclosed space.

Download Attachment: ClothesDryer.pdf

17.91 KB

[Ponyboy]

I am bringing this thread back to life and need more answers. I just inspected a condominium in a 1916 apartment building which was converted to condominiums and all of the the electrical and plumbing updated as part of the conversion. The conversion was performed prior to 2010, which was the previous time I was in this building.

Gas clothes dryers where installed in the full bathrooms of all units as part of the condominium conversion. The laundry closet door has louver vents for make up air as stated in the PDF which Darren shared. However the closet door is located in the full bathroom which should be prohibited based on IRC M1701.4 as Mike Lamb posted.

I called is out as a safety hazard in 2010, but now after reading this thread I am not clear if this a safety hazard. Options do exist to change the combustion air/make-up air source or convert to an electric clothes dryer. Any new opinion on this matter or updated code requirements?