Toilet Exhaust Systems

Energy Efficient Toilet Exhaust Systems

Bathroom ventilation is simple, but are you doing it right? Adequate ventilation is an important, but often underrated feature for bathrooms in residential homes, and even more so in accommodation premises, such as hotels, motels and care homes.

Here are some simple guidelines that if followed will ensure Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements are satisfied, and of equal significance, that condensation and odour build-up are prevented from causing inconvenience, unhealthy conditions and damage.

BUILDING REGULATIONS AND VENTILATION

Firstly, the BCA Volume 2, 2008 requires that; A toilet / bath / shower room in domestic premises, apartments, hotels or care homes should be adequately ventilated for the following reasons:

  • To reduce or eliminate odours emanating from the space.
  • To reduce or eliminate condensation caused by steam from a shower or bath.

Where a bathroom or toilet cannot be naturally ventilated to outside, the BCA requires mechanical ventilation and refers to the Standard AS1668.2: 1991, Page 37, Table B1 – Minimum Ventilation Flow Rates.

The table states: “Bathroom / Toilet – Private dwellings and attached to bedroom of hotels, motels, private hospital rooms and the like – 25L/s per room. May include bath, shower, WC and hand basin in one compartment. Rate independent of room size.” In commercial premises with multiply public toilets a common exhaust system may be used however to engineer the exhaust rate either floor area calculations are used or it can also depend upon how many fixtures are in the area that is to be exhaust, this is where it is critical to have one of Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning in house engineers design your toilet exhaust requirements to ensure that your next project complies with all of the codes, standards and regulations.

White Toilet Exhaust System

AIR FLOW RATE REQUIREMENTS

It is generally acknowledged in the HVAC industry that 25L/s air flow may be adequate for toilet ventilation and odour control. However, experience will tell that this air flow rate is often insufficient to adequately ventilate a bathroom when a shower is running, particularly in cool or humid climates. For a bathroom with shower to be free of condensation (and its inconvenient and harmful effects) an exhaust rate of between 50 to 100 L/s is recommended.

DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF A VENTILATION SYSTEM

EXHAUST AND AIR INTAKE POSITIONS

Exhaust fans, or in the case of a exhaust system; the exhaust grille, should be mounted as high as possible and be opposite the air intake into the room (which is typically at the bottom of the door).

The above picture illustrates recommended practice for the positioning of an air intake and exhaust points to ensure adequate cross ventilation. If possible the air entry should be on the opposite surface to the air exit to prevent short- circuiting and stagnant areas.

Design of a ventilation system graphic

MAKE UP AIR

Allowance must be made for replenishment of exhaust air. The entry door having suitable clearance above the floor (Undercut Doors), or to have an air intake grille (Door Grille) in the door can achieve this.

EXHAUST DISCHARGE TO ATMOSPHERE

An often ignored or misunderstood compliance issue with toilet and bathroom ventilation for residential and accommodation premises is the BCA requirement relating to discharge of exhaust air to atmosphere.

Specifically, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) stipulates:

a.   If the roof is not lined with sarking material (silver paper insulation) and is clad with roofing tiles or decking with adequate air leakage to the outside, fans can be mounted in the ceiling exhausting into the roof space.

b.  If the roof is lined with sarking material then the air needs to be ducted to the outside atmosphere through the roof or eaves. Comment ‘b’ is now more the rule than the exception, as energy efficiency regulations require full insulation of building roof spaces. This means that most roofs are now sealed from the atmosphere and thus require exhaust ventilation to be discharged to the outside.

Available solutions to achieve outside discharge are:

a). If the bathroom/toilet has walls that are external, then a wall or window-mounted fan can be used to exhaust air directly to the outside, or we can can also have a roof mounted exhaust grille and exhaust through the eaves.

b). If the room is below a roof that is exposed to the atmosphere, then a roof-mounted fan can be used to exhaust air directly to the outside.

c). If the room has neither a). or b)., and is enclosed within a building, then it will be necessary to exhaust the air
through a exhaust system to the outside atmosphere.

CONCLUSION

It makes good economic sense to install a bathroom exhaust system that is sized to achieve a good level of ventilation, as condensation and excessive humidity can cause extensive damage to internal construction and finishes, causing the need for expensive re-decorating.

It can also cause discomfort and pose health risks to the occupants of the bathroom by encouraging mould growth that can harbour germs. Steam from a shower can cause considerable frustration and inconvenience by having to constantly wipe down fixtures such as mirrors and bench tops so they can be functional.

toilet exhaust systems

Client Reviews

  • I just thought I would share some feedback with you on this very hot day. In the past, our air conditioning has always struggled badly on these hot days.The guys out the front (with glass windows) would be sweating and they would turn the air right down. The people in the back of the office would need to bring jumpers and cardigans to work on a day like this. BUT NOW – AFTER YOUR TECHNICIAN WAS HERE LAST MONTH. It’s fantastic.  We have been in this building for 10 years and the air conditioning has never worked better!! So thank you to everyone there for making that happen for us. We are all very happy and have been mostly unaware that it’s even a hot day out there. We love it!!

  • Thank you Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning for the professional work you produced in installing the bar and kitchen at the Mark Hotel.

    Your professionalism, quality, honesty, and delivery timeframes were outstanding given you were under an extremely tight schedule to get the project completed. I was especially impressed with your effort to accommodate any additions to the original scope, including the client's request to refurbish the entire kitchen two weeks prior to Christmas. I have no hesitation in recommending you and Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning to future clients and trust we will continue to further strengthen the relationship between our companies.

  • Coles have been responsible for the provision, installation and servicing of all our beverage and catering equipment, air conditioning & general refrigeration. I have conducted business with Coles since 1994. I have no hesitation in recommending Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning to prospective clients.

  • We were impressed by the excellent sales advise, design, installation and after sales service we received. All equipment restoration was carried out professionally keeping costs to a minimum. Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning ensured that our budget was met and that we received the best available equipment within that budget. For future requirement, we will not hesitate to involve Coles Refrigeration & Air Conditioning. Thank you for the professional input and service!

  • Thank you for the excellent work produced by your staff during the fit out of our new kitchen. The stainless steel exhaust and benchwork are second to none. Our cool room, pantry and freezer are working beautifully and the shelving and the layouts are exactly to our requirements. I will always be available to be contacted to recommend the work you and your staff did on our new kitchen.

  • Throughout all the stages of development and construction, I always found the staff from Coles to be highly professional and diligent in their works. Cole's tradesmen who carried out the works at our site were always helpful and met our stringent OH&S requirements. The buildings that were refurbished present various challenges with timeframes and meeting relevant codes and standards. With Cole's help, we were able to meet and exceed all expectations. I have no hesitation in recommending Coles Refrigeration for any future works in which they tender.

  • Mitchel Cousins has presented at two workshops held by the Energy Hunter team, helping businesses gain an understanding of real life ways to improve performance, reliability and cost savings of plant and equipment. Mitchell displayed high level of knowledge in both his specific industry, as well as energy efficiency. It was a pleasure working with Mitchell and I would happily do so again.

  • I was on site this morning at 47 Darby Street for the RMS Fitout project, and the foreman was heaping a fair bit of praise on you guys for the quality and speed of work! Thanks for helping us out on this one.

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