Shower in mechanical room

[User Name]

Hey guys. Finishing out a new house, homeowner had a shower installed in his mechanical room, which contains the electrical panel, furnace, hrv, and boiler. I wish I had the fore sight to put this together but I just can't think of everything, breaker panel can't be in a bathroom, or probably any of the other stuff really.

But, does the shower, and only a shower, make it a bathroom? There's no sink, no toilet. The 2020 code reads "an area containing a sink with one or more of the following: yada yada". Is the sink the major determination here?

If its not technically a bathroom, then does a guy put the equipment on gfi breakers? The boiler already is, its plugged into an outlet, hrv is on the ceiling plugged into a single outlet, furnace hardwired.

Wish I could go back and tell the guy not to do that but either way, but here I am. I could potentially get him to wall it off if I have to.

 

[infinity]

A shower in a mechanical room is not in a bathroom. The normal wet location rules according to the Article 100 definition would apply in the area of the shower.

 

[LBarlow]

If your location is USA, building codes are variable amongst the states.... For example, here in NC the building code actually would define that space as a bathroom since you have a shower.
Do with that information what you will.

You may need to find what your local codes determine that space to be.

 

[Frank DuVal]

Call it a mop sink with a curtain? I've seen sinks at floor levels in mechanical rooms. Add a curtain and a shower wand on the faucet and you have a shower stall. Compliant?

Or add a wall and door!

 

[tthh]

Just out of curosity, what is the purpose of the shower in the mechanical room?

 

[Rick 0920]

The NEC definition of a bathroom would require a sink (basin) and 1 or more other types of plumbing fixtures. That's why 210.8 (A) (1) states bathrooms and (A) (9) states bathtubs and shower stalls as you could have these in a room and it not be considered a "bathroom"

 

[zbang]

Just out of curosity, what is the purpose of the shower in the mechanical room?

Showering? for mechanics?

It was probably the most convenient place to put one for cleaning up after dirty tasks; sort of like having an outdoor shower that's usable all the time.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

If your location is USA, building codes are variable amongst the states.... For example, here in NC the building code actually would define that space as a bathroom since you have a shower.
Do with that information what you will.

You may need to find what your local codes determine that space to be.

In my opinion, a definition in another code or standard does not modify a defined term in the NEC. For this application, the area is not a bathroom as it does not comply with the NEC definition of a bathroom. In cases where the NEC does not define the area, you would used definitions from other codes and standards.