Chapter 14 Special Requirements For Health Care Facilities 14.1 GENERAL This Chapter applies to special fixtures and systems that occur in health care facilities and to the special plumbing requirements in such facilities. Ordinary plumbing in such facilities shall comply with the other applicable Chapters of this Code. 14.2 WATER SERVICE Where required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, hospitals and similar health care facilities shall have dual water service lines to maintain a water supply in the event of a water main failure. Where possible, the service pipelines shall be connected to different water mains so that a single water main break can be isolated and repaired without shutting off all water service to the facility. 14.3 MEDICAL GAS AND VACUUM PIPING SYSTEMS 14.3.1 General The installation of medical gas and vacuum piping systems shall be in accordance with the requirements of either NFPA 99 - Standard for Health Care Facilities or NFPA 99C - Gas and Vacuum Systems. 14.3.2 Professional Qualifications of Installers, Inspectors and Verifiers Installers (including brazers), inspectors, and verifiers of medical gas and vacuum systems shall meet the requirements of ANSI/ASSE Series 6000 - Professional Qualification Standard for Medical Gas Systems Installers, Inspectors, and Verifiers, or the equivalent. 14.4 PROTRUSIONS FROM WALLS Drinking fountains, control valves, medical gas station outlets, vacuum inlet stations, risers, cleanout covers, and other devices shall be fully-recessed in corridors and other areas where patients may be transported on a gurney, hospital bed, or wheelchair. Protective guards shall be provided where necessary. 14.5 MENTAL PATIENT ROOMS Piping and drain traps in mental patient rooms shall be concealed. Fixtures and fittings shall be vandal-proof. 14.6 PROHIBITED LOCATIONS FOR ICE STORAGE Ice makers or ice storage chests shall not be located in a Soiled Utility Room or similar areas where subject to possible contamination. 2009 National Standard Plumbing Code 181
14.7 CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION a. Backflow prevention shall be in accordance with Section 10.5. b. Vacuum breakers for bedpan washers shall be not less than 5 feet above the floor. 14.8 CLINICAL SINKS AND BEDPAN WASHERS 14.8.1 General a. Clinical sinks and bedpan washers, and flushing-rim service sinks shall be installed in the same manner as water closets. Where such fixtures have a vent connection on the inlet side of their trap, a local vent shall be provided in accordance with Section 14.9. b. Clinical sinks shall not be used as a substitute for non-flushing service sinks, nor shall a non-flushing service sink be utilized to clean bedpans. c. Vacuum breakers for bedpan washers shall be installed in accordance with Section 14.7.b. 14.9 LOCAL VENTS AND STACKS FOR CLINICAL SINKS OR BEDPAN WASHERS 14.9.1 General Where clinical sinks or bedpan washers have provisions for a local vent, a local vent shall be extended to the outdoors above the roof. Local vents shall terminate in accordance with Section 12.4. Local vents from clinical sinks or bedpan washers shall not be connected to vapor vents for sterilizers or to any drainage system vent. 14.9.2 Material Local vent piping shall be of a material acceptable for sanitary vents in accordance with Section 3.6. 14.9.3 Required Size and Arrangement A local vent serving a single clinical sink or bedpan washer shall be not less than 2" pipe size. Where such fixtures are installed back-to-back or are located above each other on more than one floor, a local vent stack may be provided to serve multiple fixtures. A 2" local vent stack may serve up to three fixtures. A 3" local vent stack may serve up to six fixtures. A 4" local vent stack may serve up to twelve fixtures. In multiple installations, the connections to the local vent stack shall be made using sanitary tee or tee-wye fittings oriented for upward flow from the branch. A branch connection to a local vent stack shall extend not more than 5 feet horizontally and shall be sloped not less than 1/4 inch per foot back towards the fixture served. 14.9.4 Provisions for Drainage Provisions shall be made for the drainage of vapor condensation within local vent piping. A local vent serving a single fixture may drain back to the fixture served. The base of a local vent stack serving one or more fixtures shall be directly connected to a trapped and vented waste branch of the sanitary drainage system. The trap and waste branch shall be the same size as the local vent stack. The trap seal depth shall be not less than 3 inches. The vent for the waste branch shall be 1-1/4" minimum size, but not less than one-half the size of the waste branch. 14.9.5 Trap Priming The waste trap required under Section 14.9.4 shall be primed by at least one clinical sink or bedpan washer on each floor served by the local vent stack. A priming line not less than 1/4" OD size shall be extended from 182 2009 National Standard Plumbing Code
the discharge or fixture-side of the vacuum breaker protecting the fixture water supply to the local vent stack. A trap having not less than a 3-inch water seal shall be provided in the priming line. The line shall prime the trap at the base of the local vent stack each time that a fixture is flushed. 14.10 STERILIZERS 14.10.1 General The requirements of this Section apply to sterilizers and bedpan steamers. Such equipment shall be installed in accordance with this Code and the manufacturer s instructions. 14.10.2 Indirect Waste Connections All waste drainage from sterilizers and bedpan steamers shall be indirectly connected to the sanitary drainage system through an air gap, in accordance with Chapter 9. Indirect waste pipes shall be not less than the size of the drain connection on the fixture. Separate waste pipes shall be provided for each fixture, except that up to three sterilizers may have a common indirect waste pipe if its developed length does not exceed 8 feet. The size of such common indirect waste pipes shall be not less than the aggregate cross-sectional area of the individual sterilizer drain connections. Except for bedpan steamers, indirect waste pipes shall not require traps. 14.10.3 Floor Drains a. A trapped and vented floor drain, not less than 3" pipe size, shall be provided in each recess room or space where recessed or concealed portions of sterilizers are located. The floor drain shall drain the entire floor area and shall receive the indirect waste from at least one sterilizer. Where an air gap fitting is provided, the waste pipe from the fitting may connect to the body of the floor drain above its trap seal. b. Where required by the sterilizer manufacturer, a floor drain shall be located directly beneath the sterilizer within the area of its base. 14.10.4 Cooling Required Waste drainage from condensers or steam traps shall be cooled below 140 F before being discharged indirectly to the sanitary drainage system. 14.10.5 Traps Required for Bedpan Steamers A trap having a minimum seal of 3 inches shall be provided in the indirect waste pipe for a bedpan steamer, located between the fixture and the air gap at the indirect waste receptor. 14.11 VAPOR VENTS AND STACKS FOR STERILIZERS 14.11.1 General Where sterilizers have provisions for a vapor vent and such a vent is required by their manufacturer, a vapor vent shall be extended to the outdoors above the roof. Sterilizer vapor vents shall terminate in accordance with Section 12.4 and shall not be connected to local vents for clinical sinks or bedpan washers or to any drainage system vent. 14.11.2 Material Sterilizer vapor vent piping shall be of a material acceptable for sanitary vents in accordance with Section 3.6. 2009 National Standard Plumbing Code 183
14.11.3 Required Size and Arrangement a. Sterilizer vapor vents and stacks for individual sterilizers shall be not less than the size of the sterilizer vent connection, except that stacks shall be not less than 1-1/2" pipe size. Where vapor vent stacks serve more than one sterilizer, the cross-sectional area of the stack shall be not less than the aggregate cross-sectional areas of the vapor vents for all of the sterilizers served. b. In single and multiple installations, the connections to the vapor vent stack shall be made using sanitary tee or tee-wye fittings oriented for upward flow from the branch. A branch connection to a sterilizer vapor vent stack shall extend not more than 5 feet horizontally and shall be sloped not less than 1/4 inch per foot away from the sterilizer and toward the vent stack. 14.11.4 Provisions for Drainage Provisions shall be made for the drainage of vapor condensation within sterilizer vapor vent piping. The base of stacks shall drain indirectly through an air gap to a trapped and vented waste receptor connected to the sanitary drainage system. 14.12 DRAINAGE FROM CENTRAL VACUUM SYSTEMS 14.12.1 General Provisions for drainage from medical, surgical, dental, and similar central vacuum systems shall be as required by either NFPA 99 - Health Care Facilities or NFPA 99C - Gas and Vacuum Systems. In addition, drainage from dental and other vacuum systems that collect fluid waste centrally shall comply with Sections 14.12.2 through 14.12.4. 14.12.2 Positive Pressure Drainage from Air/Waste Separators in Dental Vacuum Systems a. The waste outlet from an air/waste separator on the discharge side of a vacuum pump or blower shall be direct-connected to the sanitary drainage system through a deep-seal trap that is conventionally vented within the plumbing system. The trap vent shall extend vertically to not less than 6 inches above the top of the separator before making any horizontal turns. The vacuum exhaust air flow from the separator shall be separately vented to outodoors as required under NFPA 99 and NFPA 99C. b. The trap and drain branch size shall be at least two pipe sizes larger than the waste pipe from the separator, but not less than 1-1/2" pipe size. The vent shall be the full size of the trap and drain. The trap seal shall be at least two times the exhaust backpressure in the separator, but not less than 4 inches deep. 14.12.3 Gravity Drainage from Waste Holding Tanks in Dental Vacuum Systems a. The drainage from waste holding tanks shall extend from the vacuum check valve on the waste outlet of the tank and be direct-connected to the sanitary drainage system through a deep-seal trap that is conventionally vented within the plumbing system. In addition, a vent shall be installed between the vacuum check valve and the drain trap, on the inlet side of the trap, to seal the check valve when the holding tank is operating under vacuum and collecting waste. This vent shall be connected to the plumbing system vents. Both vents shall extend vertically to not less than 6 inches above the top of the holding tank before making any horizontal turns. b. The trap and drain size shall be at least two pipe sizes larger than the waste outlet and vacuum check valve, but not less than 2" pipe size. The trap shall be not less than 4 inches deep. The vent for the vacuum check valve shall be not less than the size of the check valve. The trap vent shall be not less than one-half the size of the trap and drain branch. 184 2009 National Standard Plumbing Code
14.12.4 Protection from Sewage Backup in Dental Vacuum Systems A floor drain or other trapped and vented receptor shall be provided near the connection of the drain from a dental vacuum air/waste separator or waste holding tank to the sanitary drainage system that will overflow in the event of a backup in the sanitary drainage system and prevent the backup from reaching the level of the trap for the air /waste separator or the drain check valve for the waste holding tank. The trap of the floor drain or receptor shall be primed if it does not receive an indirect waste discharge. 14.13 ASPIRATORS Provisions for aspirators or other water-supplied suction devices shall be installed only with the specific approval of the Authority Having Jurisdiction. Where aspirators are used for removing body fluids, they shall include a collection bottle or similar fluid trap. Aspirators shall indirectly discharge to the sanitary drainage system through an air gap, in accordance with Chapter 9. The potable water supply to an aspirator shall be protected by a vacuum breaker or equivalent, in accordance with Sections 14.7 and 10.5.3. 2009 National Standard Plumbing Code 185