# Have to go thru mechanical room to access bathroom!?



## Bill Seegmuller (Mar 13, 2020)

I am in NY state (not NYC) and I got a call from someone who is selling their house but hasn't gotten a C of O on their finished basement, so they are trying to tie up their loose ends before selling.  

Their finished basement includes a mechanical room that you have to go through to get to the laundry room and the bathroom.  She wants to know if that is code compliant.  I'm not really sure where to look in the code for this information - if/when I tell her it is NOT code compliant, she will ask me where I found it in the code.

Anyone have any idea what code I can reference for this scenario?


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## cda (Mar 13, 2020)

International residential code

If that is what the state or city adopted.


Not my area, but more than likely good to go.

Do you know what kind of fuel is involved??


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## Bill Seegmuller (Mar 13, 2020)

cda said:


> International residential code
> 
> If that is what the state or city adopted.
> 
> ...



I'm going to say oil and yes we are using the ICC.


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## cda (Mar 13, 2020)

I think the answer to your other question,,, 

Is the answer to this one::


https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/boiler-room-needs-a-fire-rated-door.28226/


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## Paul Sweet (Mar 13, 2020)

It might not be the best design, but I don't see any more danger in it than a furnace & water heater in a utility closet opening onto a hallways in a residence, which is not uncommon in areas where most houses are slab-on-grade.

The rated door mentioned in cda's thread is for furnaces over 400,000 BTUH or boilers over 340,000 BTUH, which is a pretty big house.


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## cda (Mar 13, 2020)

I go past my natural gas fired HVAC closet all the time, going down the hallway to the bedroom


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## Sifu (Mar 13, 2020)

Not NY code, but probably pretty similar.  There are a couple of issues that need to be addressed.  Bathrooms that open to a mechanical room are restricted by the provisions of 2018 IRC 2406.2.  If you don't or can't fit into one of the exceptions that may answer it.  You also have a make-up air issue.  If a dryer pulls too much air out of the mechanical room, you could inhibit the venting of the furnace/boiler.  2018 IRC 2439.5 limits the dryer exhaust without make-up air (bathroom exhaust can also contribute to that).  Not sure of your exact configuration.  You may or may not have, or be able to get to a code compliant condition, these sections may help.


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