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  1. #1
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    Jan 2020
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    pennsylvania
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    Default Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    I have a tricky situation. We are trying to sell a home in Pennsylvania and the bathrooms do not have heat. The house has central air(HVAC) and it is impossible to reach the bathrooms with ducts(beams on the way).

    Do the bathrooms need a dedicated heating outlet as per regulation?

    As per FHA requirements?

    As per conventional loan requirements?

    As per buyer inspection guidelines?

    As per appraisal requirements, will the bathrooms square footage be added to the appraisal? Is it normally added?

    Both bathrooms are adequately heated because the house is insulated and the heating system is top notch. One of the bathrooms has a small portion that is on a exterior wall. The other is fully interior(Although one side of wall is adjacent to the shared wall with the neighbor)


    I really appreciate your help

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Posts
    3,154

    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by jack mason View Post
    I have a tricky situation. We are trying to sell a home in Pennsylvania and the bathrooms do not have heat. The house has central air(HVAC) and it is impossible to reach the bathrooms with ducts(beams on the way).

    Do the bathrooms need a dedicated heating outlet as per regulation?
    As per FHA requirements?
    As per conventional loan requirements?
    As per buyer inspection guidelines?
    As per appraisal requirements, will the bathrooms square footage be added to the appraisal? Is it normally added?
    Both bathrooms are adequately heated because the house is insulated and the heating system is top notch. One of the bathrooms has a small portion that is on a exterior wall. The other is fully interior(Although one side of wall is adjacent to the shared wall with the neighbor)
    I really appreciate your help
    Jack,

    I am going to reply without having actually looked this up. To the best of my knowledge, homes are required to be heated, but I do not remember anything about specific rooms. It is not uncommon to see laundry areas, hallways, and other utility type areas without heater vents. I inspect existing homes that have wall heaters centrally located. These generally do not have direct heat in a bathroom, but still are considered heated. A home inspector might or might not make a note that he/she did not find heater registers in bathrooms. I cannot speak to loan requirements.

    Department of Redundancy Department
    Supreme Emperor of Hyperbole
    http://www.FullCircleInspect.com/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
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    28,042

    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    To add to what Gunnar said:

    Quote Originally Posted by jack mason View Post
    I have a tricky situation. We are trying to sell a home in Pennsylvania and the bathrooms do not have heat. The house has central air(HVAC) and it is impossible to reach the bathrooms with ducts(beams on the way).

    Do the bathrooms need a dedicated heating outlet as per regulation?

    As per FHA requirements?
    Not that I ever heard, but I did very few FHA loan houses.

    As per conventional loan requirements?
    Not that I ever heard.

    As per buyer inspection guidelines?
    If an inspector makes up their own guidelines and cannot back them up with something showing it is required ... I recommend kicking that inspector out and throwing away their report.

    As per appraisal requirements, will the bathrooms square footage be added to the appraisal? Is it normally added?
    Bathrooms are part of the living area, and appraisals include the various areas, such as: living area; garage/carport areas; covered porch areas; etc.

    The various areas are added together to get total area (basically total area under roof), however, each type of area has a different value - living areas have a higher value than garage areas, etc.

    Regarding codes, though, bathrooms are part of the living area, but are not considered habitable space, and only habitable space is required to have heat.

    You said: "The house has central air(HVAC) and it is impossible to reach the bathrooms with ducts(beams on the way)." You can add heat by replacing an exhaust fan with an exhaust fan which also has a heat option (that would provide heat in a bathroom which does not have a heat supply from a central system) if you wanted to add heat to a bathroom. The "heat option" in the exhaust fan may be electric strip heat (heats the air in the bathroom, but it takes a while to heat the bathroom up that way) or heat lamp (which only heats what the heat lamp shines on, such as a person standing under the heat lamp, move to the side of the heat lamp and the person no longer feels the heat from the heat lamp).

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  4. #4

    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Tongue in cheek question...: How about those "old" homes that are still heated by fireplaces or the old fashioned pot bellied coal burning stoves? You old guys remember those? Have to "rotisserie" yourself in front of them to stay warm.. Just asking..


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    WV
    Posts
    34

    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ralph Stakely View Post
    Tongue in cheek question...: How about those "old" homes that are still heated by fireplaces or the old fashioned pot bellied coal burning stoves? You old guys remember those? Have to "rotisserie" yourself in front of them to stay warm.. Just asking..
    Those houses would be the reason to run hot water to the toilet at least in winter BRRRR


  6. #6

    Cool Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post

    Regarding codes, though, bathrooms are part of the living area, but are not considered habitable space, and only habitable space is required to have heat.
    Growing up, my sisters probably spent more time in the bathroom then in the kitchen. If the bathroom had not had heat, there would have been extension cords and electric heaters....

    Jerry, would you be so kind as to share the code that defines "habitable space"?

    Egbert Jager
    Diamond Home Inspection
    http://www.diamondhomeinspection.ca

  7. #7
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    Mar 2007
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    Fletcher, NC
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    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by Egbert Jager View Post
    Jerry, would you be so kind as to share the code that defines "habitable space"?
    Start here: https://codes.iccsafe.org/category/I-Codes

    Click on Free IRC at the IRC thumbnail.

    Then go to Chapter 2 Definitions, scroll down to "Habitable Space":

    The [RB] indicates that it is in the Residential Code and in the Building Code volumes.


    Habitable Space. A space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Pleasant Hill, Iowa
    Posts
    145

    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Heat is not required in a bathroom or laundry room as long as the room is not on an outside wall, if there is a conditioned space all around the room it is not required.

    Dan Hagman ACI
    ProSite Home Inspections
    Des Moines, Iowa

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Fletcher, NC
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    Default Re: Is heat required in Bathrooms in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Hagman View Post
    Heat is not required in a bathroom or laundry room as long as the room is not on an outside wall, if there is a conditioned space all around the room it is not required.
    Do you have the code which requires heat when located on an outside wall?

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

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