Ask Me Help Desk - Minimum Hot Water Standards

Is there any ANSI/ASME or building, housing, plumbing, or other code that explicitly states or infers what the minimum PSI/GPM hot water rate must be for bath tub/shower fixtures in residential, multi-family, units? I cannot get my landlord to increase my hot water shower rate to at least 2.0 to 2.5 GPM/60PSI minimum -- the new maximum mandated by the 1992 EPAct 1992. I also cannot get a quantified answer from my city's housing or building inspectors, beyond 15 PSI for pressure and "profesional judgement" for GPM. Surely, some minimum hot/cold water GPM/PSI rate must exist, be mandated, for bath tub/shower fixtures and water supply in rented housing -- otherwise anyone could become a slum-lord in only providing inadequate hot/cold water for bathing/showering. If anyone knows this technical question, please cite the exact ANSI/ASME standard or regulation sections at they related to Berkeley, California, that I can read them online. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by ThePublicInterest

Is there any ANSI/ASME or building, housing, plumbing, or other code that explicitly states or infers what the minimum PSI/GPM hot water rate must be for bath tub/shower fixtures in residential, multi-family, units? I cannot get my landlord to increase my hot water shower rate to at least 2.0 to 2.5 GPM/60PSI minimum -- the new maximum mandated by the 1992 EPAct 1992. I also cannot get a quantified answer from my city's housing or building inspectors, beyond 15 PSI for pressure and "profesional judgement" for GPM. Surely, some minimum hot/cold water GPM/PSI rate must exist, be mandated, for bath tub/shower fixtures and water supply in rented housing -- otherwise anyone could become a slum-lord in only providing inadequate hot/cold water for bathing/showering. If anyone knows this technical question, please cite the exact ANSI/ASME standard or regulation sections at they related to Berkeley, California, that I can read them online. Thanks!

I think you might be barking up the wrong tree on this one.

Standards set by ANSI are strictly voluntary in their adoption, and standards set by the ASME have more to do with minimum acceptable equipment, component and manufacturing standards as they apply to mechanical devices.

And you are misinterpreting the 1992 EPA Act -- The act pertains to the maximum allowed output of a device at 60PSI -- Meaning the device can pass no more than 2.5 GPM with a supplied pressure of 60PSI.

As for the low pressure in your apartment; Is the pressure as low in the other fixtures in the unit as it is in the shower?

If you have moderate to decent pressure at the kitchen sink or lavatory, then it may be that you have an obstruction at the shower, either in the shower valve itself, or in the supply lines.

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Originally Posted by iamgrowler

I think you might be barking up the wrong tree on this one.

Thanks IAG for a timely response.

Standards set by ANSI are strictly voluntary in their adoption, and standards set by the ASME have more to do with minimum acceptable equipment, component and manufacturing standards as they apply to mechanical devices.

Yes, I know ANSI/ASME is a voluntary standard setting organization. But their "plumbing fixture" standards A112.18.1" are adopted (voluntarily I'm sure) by government code agencies. More to my issue, I simply wanted to know whether this body had established a standard -- even if voluntary.

And you are misinterpreting the 1992 EPA Act -- The act pertains to the maximum allowed output of a device at 60PSI -- Meaning the device can pass no more than 2.5 GPM with a supplied pressure of 60PSI.

I didn't misinterpret the 1992 EPAact. I know it sets a MAXIMUM PSI/GPM standard. I cited it because I thought perhaps someone might know whether an inferred or implied MINIMUM standard was articulated in the public policy process amongst stakeholders when this policy was developed -- or whether an inferred minimum standard was ever discussed by the stakeholders involved in making this policy.

As for the low pressure in your apartment; Is the pressure as low in the other fixtures in the unit as it is in the shower?

The PSI/GPM is 100 PSI/2 GPM from my kitchen sink faucet; 100 PSI/3 GPM from my bathroom sink faucet, and 100 PSI/5 GPM cold water from my mixed-value diverter bath tub/shower faucet/shower. I used a 100 PSI gauge/stop-watch timed 3 gallon bucket to test the PSI/GPM for all hot/cold water faucets and shower head pipe. Note, the property manager even came up and took off the handle for the mixed-value tub/shower handle and did whatever he did. Afterwards, the hot water PSI/GP was even lower -- from 24 PSI/1 GPM to 20 PSI/.5 GPM -- LOL! Also, this is the second time he has time he has tried to unclogged the rust in the pipes as he claims -- last year and now this year. Most significant, my hot/cold water PSI/GPM for the mixed-value tub/shower were both visually comparable pressure/flow rate wise from 04/16/1996 to 06/31/2006 -- and have progressively gotten worse! This progressively reducing PSI/GPM problem happened with my kitchen faucet and bathroom faucet. I had to tolerate/complain for 2-years before the owner finally reconstructed the kitchen pipes directly to the water-heater and replaced the bathroom faucet and something else -- because the hot/cold water dribbled both fixtures like maples syurp from a thin-spout bottle. He knew then, the housing/plumbing code inspector wasn't going tolerate that subjective level of service -- LOL!

If you have moderate to decent pressure at the kitchen sink or lavatory, then it may be that you have an obstruction at the shower, either in the shower valve itself, or in the supply lines.

I think you might be correct here -- the problem being the mixed-value cartidge is malfunctiong, as water pours from the shower head and spout AND also the galvanized pipes are probably rusted badly in the hot water supply line and thus blocking flow. But my property owner won't permit me to pay out of pocket on my own to have a licensed plumber come in and diagnose the problem -- which is dubious, LOL!

Water at a certain temperature; clean water; flowing at a certain rate; and at a certain pressure.

That is what we all want for our hot water shower: and it is simply incredible how landlords and building superintendents can mix it up with their tenants on these simple matters.

But as you get higher and higher in urban buildings, the time to get hot water gets longer; the pressure decreases; the rate slows to a dribble; and sometimes the water is even dirty.

Here's how to start. Unscrew the shower-head and pry out the flow limiter.

Also: check out this You Tube.

Hi Robert and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a 5 year old dead thread Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date before you post, Thanks,

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But as you get higher and higher in urban buildings, the time to get hot water gets longer; the pressure decreases; the rate slows to a dribble; and sometimes the water is even dirty.

What country are you from? Surly not from the United States. We have laws and codes that address this. You speak of hi raise condos. You must not have ever lived in one or you would realize how very wrong you are.
Letl's look at a few.

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as you get higher and higher in urban buildings, the time to get hot water gets longer;

NOT SO! WE install a 40 gallon water heater in each unit so there's no wait for hot water and even if we didn't a recirculating system would cover that problem.

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the pressure decreases; the rate slows to a dribble;

On High raise buildings we install a booster pump at mid level to masintain pressure to all units.

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sometimes the water is even dirty.

This is too laughable to even address, n Here we have a Health Department that monitors the living conditions.
Now I would like to know where you're getting your information from. Tom