PPOR - can i just "install" a shower?

[jack2016]

weird house layout. bedroom has a toilet and hand basin behind japanese style sliding door. can i just plonk a shower in there?
how much would the costs differ if i just plonk a shower + dome + extractor fan vs getting a full bathroom reno with consent?

thanks for your advice

PS also while i'm at it, wanting to change low pressure hot water cylinder, 1970 (60s style) house - should i just put in a high pressure cylinder? will my pipes hold?

[donna]

You need a registered plumber who can tell you what you can and can not do.

by the way we thought we could just add a shower to an existing bathroom (we had the shower over the bath like it was before) in our building consent plans. At worst we thought the plumbers could sign it off but our Council wanted the building consent plans updated. Without it we wouldn’t get code of compliance.

cheers
Donna

[Keithw]

As i understand it, you will need consent to add shower, as you are adding to facilities, ie it is not already there. If just moving things around, ie plumbing connections are already in use but moved, then consent not required.

Re hot water cyclinder, you also need to consider taps and mixers, along with the condition of the pipes.
Any Individual taps will be fine.
Any mixers may have been installed to provide water flow based on high pressure cold mixed with low pressure hot.
If your whole house is low pressure, eg you run off a water tank, then mixers may be set up expecting equal low pressures.
Pushing high pressure hot into either of these situations is likely to end up with a very unbalanced control, ie a small opening in the hot will provide a lot more than a small opening in the cold. This can be a safety issue, ie too much hot accidentally flowing. this is why hot water cylinders must now be installed with temperature regulating valves to keep the flow temp below 55deg.
As the user, you may be happy to live with poor flow control, but if you have kids you would want to think carefullly.

The minute your plumber makes any changes to your plumbing, he is required to bring all related plumbing up to current code, ie installing HP cylinder will require all the related safety valves, check pressure capabilty of existing piping and mixers etc. may even be required to replace any of the black plastic (Quest i think) piping that was installed many years ago and turn out to be faulty long term.

As Donna says, you need to get a plumber to come around and tell you what has to be done.

[John the builder]

You need a registered plumber who can tell you what you can and can not do.

by the way we thought we could just add a shower to an existing bathroom (we had the shower over the bath like it was before) in our building consent plans. At worst we thought the plumbers could sign it off but our Council wanted the building consent plans updated. Without it we wouldn’t get code of compliance.

cheers
Donna

if you take the shower off your bath then it can be installed as a separate shower without consent (by registered plumber. This is because the shower over bath counts as a separate fixture and your new shower is not increasing the total.

you can provide a schedule 1 report to the council if you wish to update the file.

Jack 2016 this could work for you too? are you retaining the w.c and basin or is there someting else in the house you can reuse such as the old laundry tub? What does the council property file say is there?

[jack2016]

thanks all
sorry i didn't realise i wasnt' getting notification

my house is a 70s house and in those days there are no house plans!

there is no bath in that space to "re-use"

sounds like I'll have to find a plumber. any recommendations in dunedin?

funny i went to mitre10 and the lady said - umm just install it who cares it's your house!

[jack2016]

As i understand it, you will need consent to add shower, as you are adding to facilities, ie it is not already there. If just moving things around, ie plumbing connections are already in use but moved, then consent not required.

Re hot water cyclinder, you also need to consider taps and mixers, along with the condition of the pipes.
Any Individual taps will be fine.
Any mixers may have been installed to provide water flow based on high pressure cold mixed with low pressure hot.
If your whole house is low pressure, eg you run off a water tank, then mixers may be set up expecting equal low pressures.
Pushing high pressure hot into either of these situations is likely to end up with a very unbalanced control, ie a small opening in the hot will provide a lot more than a small opening in the cold. This can be a safety issue, ie too much hot accidentally flowing. this is why hot water cylinders must now be installed with temperature regulating valves to keep the flow temp below 55deg.
As the user, you may be happy to live with poor flow control, but if you have kids you would want to think carefullly.

The minute your plumber makes any changes to your plumbing, he is required to bring all related plumbing up to current code, ie installing HP cylinder will require all the related safety valves, check pressure capabilty of existing piping and mixers etc. may even be required to replace any of the black plastic (Quest i think) piping that was installed many years ago and turn out to be faulty long term.

As Donna says, you need to get a plumber to come around and tell you what has to be done.

my cold water is high pressure and hot water is low pressure.
it's a 70s house and in those days there didn't seem to be any standards to follow!

[John the builder]

thanks all
sorry i didn't realise i wasnt' getting notification

my house is a 70s house and in those days there are no house plans!

there is no bath in that space to "re-use"

sounds like I'll have to find a plumber. any recommendations in dunedin?

funny i went to mitre10 and the lady said - umm just install it who cares it's your house!

I like the sound of that lady (my kind of girl!)
The rule is you are not supposed to increase the number of fixtures but you can substitute and relocate The bath doesnt have to be in the same space. The calculation is to all the fixtures on the site. (not to the space?) An old laundry tub? or that shower over the bath( not there now)

if council dont have plans then how do they know what was there??? you need to be creative.

HWC can be changed and to high pressure if you want
All work has to be by registered plumber so they can recommend what is needed. Pipes should be ok.

you can get a consent (if you want )but this might cost more than the shower? Your call.

note to admin.........................
the clock on this site runs 1 hour fast?????????????????????????????????? I edit at 9.50

[jack2016]

you're a champ john. many thanks i think got it all sorted!

[jack2016]

PS i don't suppose a hot water cylinder is a "fixture"? the crazy house has 4 of those things