January 31, 2019 at 9:03 AM, about 3 years ago 9

Can anyone find out the legislation that requires landlords to install thermostatic shower faucets in rental properties?

Maybe they are to protect the vulnerable groups in all rental properties? Or is it only needed in HMO? They are designed to greatly reduce the risk of scalding under a shower that is too hot.

I was told a few years ago that they are legal requirements, and they have been installed since then, but we have encountered more and more problems with them sticking and not properly adjusted. In my opinion, they cannot handle the very hard water we get on the edge of Chilterns/Hertfordshire, so the scale is getting bigger and bigger.

Is there a knowledgeable plumber or landlord here who can clarify?

14:49 PM on January 31, 2019, about 3 years ago

Building and Approved Inspectors (Amendment) Regulations 2009>> http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/1219/pdfs/uksiem_20091219_en.pdf

Requirement G3(3) also extends these hot water safety requirements to ventilated and unvented hot water systems. The new requirement in G3(4) is that the hot water supply of the bathtub should be designed and installed to limit the temperature of the water delivered to it to no more than 48oC. This requirement applies to bathrooms in new residences (including bathrooms that are formed by the renovation of non-residential buildings or the use of apartments in buildings that have undergone major changes). This actually means that a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) must be installed on the water supply of the relevant bath.

14:56 PM on January 31, 2019, about 3 years ago

HSE >> http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsis6.pdf

This guide aims to help health and social care providers comply with their legal obligations.

Hot water If the temperature of hot water used for showering or bathing is higher than 44 °C, it will increase the risk of serious injury or death. In places where large areas of the body are exposed to high temperatures, burns can be very serious and cause death.

Hot water engineering control should be provided to ensure that water with a temperature higher than 44 °C will not be discharged from outlets that may be touched by vulnerable persons and may be immersed in the whole body. At other exits where people are particularly vulnerable (such as pools where people have skin-sensitive barriers), similar controls may be required. Engineering control can include: thermostatic mixing valve (TMV); ■■ temperature-limited instantaneous water heaters. ■■The TMV should be as close as possible to the exit, where necessary. In the healthcare environment, Category 3 is the standard required by the Ministry of Health's Hygiene Technical Memorandum 04-01 Legionella control, sanitation, and "safe" hot water, cold water, and drinking water systems. 1 It should be installed when the TMV is installed where the Category 3 TMV has been replaced or newly installed. More information about TMV can be obtained from the Thermostatic Mixing Valve Association (TMVA) or http://www.beama.org.uk. TMV shall ensure that only safe water temperature is available. Medical standard controls (such as Class 3 TMV or medical standard electric showers) and regular safety tests should ensure that the equipment remains safe at all times. If the TMV is not installed in the bathtub or shower, other equally effective control measures should be taken. It is not advisable to lock the bathroom door or remove the hot water tap, as this will prevent regular flushing of water to control the risk of Legionella. Before installing a thermostat, these measures may only be acceptable in the short term. Where an electric shower is installed, its design should ensure that the temperature of the outlet water will not cause burns. Household electric showers may have a temperature adjustment function, but if the flow or pressure fluctuates, the water temperature may still be higher than 44°C. If this is the case and vulnerable groups are at risk, additional measures need to be taken. This may include the installation of "medical standard" showers designed to prevent unsafe hot water temperatures under all conditions. The NHS standard requires them to be installed in a healthcare environment.

what do I do? You should assess the potential risk of scalding and burning in the context of the vulnerability of the person being cared for. A risk assessment of the site should be conducted to determine what control measures are needed and how to manage and maintain the system. When completing the personal care assessment, the results of the general risk assessment should be considered. Personal assessment needs to consider whether: the person may try to take a bath or shower or add water without being supervised. This is a special problem for people with impaired mental abilities; this person’s mobility means that they cannot respond safely to hot water or surfaces (such as safely getting in and out of a bathtub or shower, or staying away from a radiator); The person’s sensitivity to temperature is impaired; ■■The mental state of the person means that they cannot ■■recognize or react to hot water or too hot surfaces; the person can ask for help; ■■Any weightlifting or other aids will restrict The ability to move in the bathtub or other places; any furniture, fixtures and accessories will restrict movement. Keep away from heat sources.

14:57 PM on January 31, 2019, about 3 years ago

I don't see any specific HMO regulations regarding thermostatic shower mixing valves, but I have just researched this myself.

15:40 PM on January 31, 2019, about 3 years ago

I don't know the relevant legislation, but I can say that MIRA thermostatic mixers have been working here for at least ten years in very hard waters. In my opinion, spending the money is worth it. No affiliation, etc. https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/showers/mixer-showers/

15:42 PM on January 31, 2019, about 3 years ago

Thank you so much Neil! I think you are right because I couldn't find anything in my own search. I just received a reply from a parliamentary inspector who inspected one of our HMOs today: "As far as I know, there is no legislation requiring thermostatic mixing valves in family properties. The only time I have seen these are used in nursing homes. Or when we issue subsidies for facilities for the disabled. Therefore, if the user is unable to adjust the flow of hot water for any reason, it may be a wise move." Makes sense!), but he just re-entered the job (to help LA deal with all new HMO applications since October 18), so there may be something very recent that he doesn't know. During the inspection, he did not check the shower control (there are four mixers in that HMO), and I don’t remember any of his predecessors doing this, except to confirm that there is a continuous hot water supply (that is definitely a requirement of HMO regulations) .

February 1, 2019 at 9:32 AM, about 3 years ago

In response to the comments left by Neil Patterson on 31/01/2019-14:49, this is unlikely to apply to the attributes of the post, but it is not retrospective unless he builds a new rental house or changes its use.

February 1, 2019 at 9:40 AM, about 3 years ago

I don't know any specific lease regulations/requirements, but I have always installed Mira 415 or excel showers and they are still very strong. We are not in the hard water zone, but if it is, I might only repair the shower, clean the filter and replace any parts needed every year. Repair kits are very economical to purchase, you only need to prepare some inventory when needed.

10:45 AM on February 2, 2019, about 3 years ago

I seem to have only installed these controls in hospitals or nursing homes. Their working principle is to inject cold water into the hot water supply system and perform constant temperature control. Interestingly, these temperatures must be set within the range of 40 degrees Celsius, but the Legionella regulations require hot water to be stored and supplied above 60 degrees Celsius.

10:22 AM on February 3, 2019, about 3 years ago

Disagree with legislation requiring thermostatic hybrid showers in rental properties, and many have electric showers, which can often provide water well above 44 degrees Celsius. In addition, many styles of thermostatic showers do not have a safety stop device (38/40 degrees Celsius), so there are similar risks. Some newly built properties have TMV on the bathtub faucet, but it is suspected that this is an explanation from guidelines such as nursing homes with disadvantaged groups.

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Advice and implementation by a practicing barrister with a professional indemnity insurance of £10,000,000

Advice and implementation by a practicing barrister with a professional indemnity insurance of £10,000,000

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