Definition of a bathroom

[brianmiller]

What is the definition of a bathroom? I inspected a home where a "bathroom" had no toilet - just a shower and a sink. Does a shower and a sink constitute a full bathroom, half bath, or quarter bath, or not a bathroom?

[Jerry Peck]

Depends on what code you are referring to.

From the IRC: (underlining and bold are mine)
- BATHROOM GROUP. A group of fixtures, including or

excluding a bidet, consisting of a water closet, lavatory, and
bathtub or shower. Such fixtures are located together on the
same floor level.

I.e., the IRC does not recognize it as a "bathroom group" unless it has a toilet AND a sink AND a bathtub or a shower.

From the NEC: (underlining and bold are mine)
- Bathroom. An area including a basin with one or more of the following: a toilet, a tub, or a shower.

I.e., the NEC does not recognize it as a "bathroom" unless there is a sink AND (one or more of the following: toilet, tub, shower).

Keep in mind that both require A SINK as THE ESSENTIAL fixture.

[Jerry Peck]

(well there's a sink in the laundry room, it MUST be a bathroom) (maybe in a REAL emergency!)


You are missing the requirement in the NEC for a sink AND ... then take your pick ... :) ... guess that is what the shower is for? :eek:

[Jerry Peck]

So... the pool patio I inspected today with an outdoor shower and an outdoor sink is a BATHROOM??:confused:
Well, maybe a MEN'S room!

Did you write it up for NOT having a receptacle within 3 feet of the sink? :)

[Jerry McCarthy]

Bathrooms don't have sinks; they have lavatories, commonly called lavys.
Bathrooms are for bathing, toilet rooms are for nature calls and an occasional “Praying to the Porcelain Princess.” Also, there is a difference between a pissoire and a water closet, and how many know why the English call it the ‘Loo?”.


JP: Isn't a receptacle a sink? :D

[Joe Funderburk]

What is the definition of a bathroom? I inspected a home where a "bathroom" had no toilet - just a shower and a sink. Does a shower and a sink constitute a full bathroom, half bath, or quarter bath, or not a bathroom?

Why is this important? Is your client a linguist? Simply call it a bathroom, half-bath, or powder room.

[Rick Hurst]

Jerry, Didn't the word "loo" come from the times when they litterally through their waste out the window from a pot and they would holler from the window "Look out below"?

[Jerry McCarthy]

Yes Rick, some believe that the term 'gardyloo' (from the French regardez l'eau 'watch out for the water') which was shouted by medieval servants as they emptied the chamber-pots out of the upstairs windows into the street. It was a very good idea to be quite nimble when walking down the street, especially in the morning. :o

For our local history buffs: The History of Plumbing - Roman and English Legacy (http://www.theplumber.com/eng.html)

[john_opwin]

Refer to this
www(dot)evstudio(dot)info/2009/12/24/new-definition-of-habitable-attic-space-under-2009-irc/