Notification needed for bathroom alteration?

[Deuce]

Hi Chaps,

I've been reading up on the current regs and am a tad confused about what does and does not require notification. I'm pulling out my old en-suite and plan to fit a new walk in shower, WC and basin.

all three are going in roughly the same position as the old ones, but of course I will need to re-route the waste and water supply to each a little.

Specific question I have are:

1) To re-route the waste and water feeds sub-floor is the any notification needed? I am aware of and understand the regs regarding passing through joists and how to calculate the position and size of each pass through. I don't need to make any fresh connections to the waste stack, I can just re-route the existing ones.

2) Do I need to notify to install a new concealed mixer valve, connected to a fixed overhead rainfall head?

I'm more than capable of doing the work but I don't want to end up having to rip items out when I sell the house just because it's flagged that part of what I have done should have been notified and certified/inspected.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

No you don’t need to notify if your not moving the stack

Only time is on the electrical side eg lights shower etc

 

[centralheatking]

Hi Chaps,

I've been reading up on the current regs and am a tad confused about what does and does not require notification. I'm pulling out my old en-suite and plan to fit a new walk in shower, WC and basin.

all three are going in roughly the same position as the old ones, but of course I will need to re-route the waste and water supply to each a little.

Specific question I have are:

1) To re-route the waste and water feeds sub-floor is the any notification needed? I am aware of and understand the regs regarding passing through joists and how to calculate the position and size of each pass through. I don't need to make any fresh connections to the waste stack, I can just re-route the existing ones.

2) Do I need to notify to install a new concealed mixer valve, connected to a fixed overhead rainfall head?

I'm more than capable of doing the work but I don't want to end up having to rip items out when I sell the house just because it's flagged that part of what I have done should have been notified and certified/inspected.

Carry on no fear , these regulations do not apply to your situation. centralheatking
If you need help with what your doing PF is here anyway. chk

 

[Deuce]

No you don’t need to notify if your not moving the stack

Only time is on the electrical side eg lights shower etc

Brilliant thanks!

Whilst I have this thread here, just for the sake of staying on the right side of regulation in general... Has anything else in plumbing regs changed in the last 7 years (age of house) that could affect what I'm doing? Any need for check valves in that time for WC /shower for example? From what I can see currently, there aren't any - just isolation valve for the WC. Out of habit I will be adding isolation valves to sink and taps and shower feeds... I can also add check valves but prefer not too as they cause resistance, unless I step up to 22 for those valves, which becomes a bit chunky..

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Brilliant thanks!

Whilst I have this thread here, just for the sake of staying on the right side of regulation in general... Has anything else in plumbing regs changed in the last 7 years (age of house) that could affect what I'm doing? Any need for check valves in that time for WC /shower for example? From what I can see currently, there aren't any - just isolation valve for the WC. Out of habit I will be adding isolation valves to sink and taps and shower feeds... I can also add check valves but prefer not too as they cause resistance, unless I step up to 22 for those valves, which becomes a bit chunky..

What system do you have Combi ?

 

[centralheatking]

Brilliant thanks!

Whilst I have this thread here, just for the sake of staying on the right side of regulation in general... Has anything else in plumbing regs changed in the last 7 years (age of house) that could affect what I'm doing? Any need for check valves in that time for WC /shower for example? From what I can see currently, there aren't any - just isolation valve for the WC. Out of habit I will be adding isolation valves to sink and taps and shower feeds... I can also add check valves but prefer not too as they cause resistance, unless I step up to 22 for those valves, which becomes a bit chunky..

be carefull about isolating valves, esp ball fix type they are very cheap ...10x for £5 but they really do
restrict the flow by their design. wait for others on PF to tell you which type of iso is best.
centralheatking

 

[Deuce]

What system do you have Combi ?

Nope, system boiler (ultracom2 18kw), along with a 180L storage tank. Definitely sufficient for the size house, we can run a deep bath and then at least two lengthy showers concurrently before the stored hot water starts to give up...

Both of our current showers are mains thermostatic, so no change in that respect really... The new shower will be higher flow but not to the extent a discrete pump needs to be added - at least by my calculation..
[automerge]1576770108[/automerge]

be carefull about isolating valves, esp ball fix type they are very cheap ...10x for £5 but they really do
restrict the flow by their design. wait for others on PF to tell you which type of iso is best.
centralheatking

Thanks - I normally use the full bore type for that exact reason. I work in industrial water control so I'm used to not having to skimp too much on components and tend to apply the same logic at home!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would be very careful with the type of shower make sure it’s suitable for gravity pressure

 

[Deuce]

I would be very careful with the type of shower make sure it’s suitable for gravity pressure

Gravity pressure? It's mains pressure - just not a combi boiler. The system boiler contains a pump and expansion vessel to maintain pressure closed loop through the hot water tank - which is itself recharged by incoming mains pressure, so the whole system is closed and mains pressure maintained throughout.

From a pressure point of view it's the same as a combi boiler, just that the stored water in tank means it's always hot at the tap/valve slightly quicker than waiting for a combi to fire up and the water reach tap/valve in use.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Gravity pressure? It's mains pressure - just not a combi boiler. The system boiler contains a pump and expansion vessel to maintain pressure closed loop through the hot water tank - which is itself recharged by incoming mains pressure, so the whole system is closed and mains pressure maintained throughout.

From a pressure point of view it's the same as a combi boiler, just that the stored water in tank means it's always hot at the tap/valve slightly quicker than waiting for a combi to fire up and the water reach tap/valve in use.

So unvented cylinder? And not a normal cylinder and tank in the loft ?

 

[Deuce]

So unvented cylinder? And not a normal cylinder and tank in the loft ?

Correct, no tank. Just the cylinder. It's a system boiler as it's a 3 bathroom house and a combi couldn't keep up if all three were in use at once - not that they ever are, but that's what they specified when it was built so that's what we have...

To all intents though it's the same as a combi when it comes to pressure for hw. Pressure at mains is ~2 bar, pressure at static flow will be the same on the hw side from the cylinder. I'm not expecting the sort of power shower that removes skin... But very confident there is enough there to run a 250x250mm rain effect shower head.

EDIT: Apologies - I may have caused confusion as I previously referred to the cylinder as a 'tank'.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You will be fine then just good full bore iso valves and if you can come off the balanced port for the cold to the shower if the cylinder is close

 

[Deuce]

You will be fine then just good full bore iso valves and if you can come off the balanced port for the cold to the shower if the cylinder is close

The cylinder is close, there is already a balancing port in the cupboard the cylinder is in feeding the existing shower

I literally just have to re-route both feeds to the new shower valve set, only a couple of feet from the existing ones. Also got to tile the whole sodding room and fit everything else... But the plumbing side is pretty straight forward the way it's set up.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Sounds like it’s been done correctly good luck

 

[Deuce]

The cylinder is close, there is already a balancing port in the cupboard the cylinder is in feeding the existing shower

I literally just have to re-route both feeds to the new shower valve set, only a couple of feet from the existing ones. Also got to tile the whole sodding room and fit everything else... But the plumbing side is pretty straight forward the way it's set up.

Thanks

Might be back for more help yet... On the technical side I'm fine, but not being a plumber working day in day out I simply don't have a full knowledge of the current regs. Common sense normally leads me the right direction but not always when it comes to regs...