Governing Lodging Establishments

Requirements for Operating a Lodging Establishment: Plumbing/Mechanical

Installation and maintenance of plumbing supply lines and equipment shall be in compliance with local codes when applicable. In the absence of local codes the following requirements shall be met:

1. General requirements are as follows:
   1. Hot and cold running water shall be available at all times;
   2. Restrooms shall be provided with adequate ventilation to prevent excessive condensation, mold or algae growth or odors. New lodging establishments shall provide mechanical ventilation;
   3. Adequate venting of the drainage system shall be provided and vents shall extend above the roof;
   4. All fixtures shall be adequately and properly trapped;
   5. Openings for the passage of plumbing shall be vermin proof; and
   6. No fitting, connection, device or method of installation shall obstruct or retard the flow of water, wastes, sewage or air in the drainage or venting system;
2. Certification of Inspection by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety shall be required for the following water heaters, boilers and pressure vessels. Evidence of inspection and approval shall be posted on the premises, as well as on file with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Division of Fire Safety;
   1. Water heaters with heat input greater than two hundred thousand British thermal units per hour (200,000 Btu/hr) or fifty-seven and six-tenths kilowatts (57.6 kW) if electric;
   2. All boilers; and
   3. Hot water storage tanks greater than one hundred twenty (120) gallon capacity, and water temperatures exceeding two hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit (210°F), and heat input greater than two hundred thousand (200,000) Btu/hr or fifty-seven and six-tenths (57.6) kW if electric;
3. Water heaters and pressure vessels not required to be inspected and approved by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety:
   1. Shall be rated for a minimum working pressure of one hundred twenty-five pounds per square inch (125 psi). The maximum pressure allowed shall be permanently marked on all water heating units and holding tanks; and
   2. A separate valve or switch shall be provided to shut the fuel supply off to water heating units;
4. Safety devices to prevent the excessive buildup of heat and/or pressure in the vessel must be provided on water heaters and other pressure vessels.
   1. Temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valves are required on or adjacent to hot water holding tanks but cannot be separated from the tank by a check valve or shutoff valve.
   2. Temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valves are required on water heaters and must be installed so that the sensing element extends into the tank and monitors the temperatures in the top six inches (6") of the tank.
      1. Relief valves shall bear imprints, plates or tags to indicate the specifications of the valve.
      2. Btu rating of the temperature component of the T&P relief valve must be equal to or greater than the input Btu of the vessel it serves.
      3. Pressure rating of the pressure component of the T&P relief valve must be equal to or less than the pressure rating of the vessel it serves.
   3. Relief valve discharge pipes shall be made of rigid pipe approved for water distribution with a temperature rating of two hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit (210°F) or other materials approved by the manufacturer to be used for this purpose and—
      1. Be the same diameter, or larger, as the relief valve outlet;
      2. Be installed so as to drain by gravity flow and shall have no more than one (1) elbow or be installed according to manufacturer’s specifications;
      3. Valves shall not be connected to the relief valve discharge pipe; and
      4. Shall not discharge so as to be a hazard or a potential cause of damage;
5. All backflow devices used must meet 10 CSR 60-11.010 Prevention of Backflow or local codes. Potable water supplies shall be protected from sources of potential contamination.
   1. The following shall be protected by reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly: boiler units, fire sprinkler systems with chemical additives, lawn sprinklers with facilities for injection of pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals and pumped or repressurized cooling or heating systems.
   2. The following shall be protected by a double-check valve assembly: facility wide fire sprinklers not using chemical additives and lawn sprinklers without facilities for injection of pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals.
   3. The following shall be protected by vacuum breakers: threaded faucets, flush valves and shower spray hoses. Commercial dishwashers and commercial laundry machines shall be protected by either a vacuum breaker or an air gap.
   4. The following shall be protected by air gaps: relief valve discharge pipes from water heaters and water holding tanks, make-up waterlines for cooling towers, potable water inlets to all plumbing fixtures, water softeners, condensation waterlines and discharge lines from commercial laundry machines. Swimming pool feed lines shall be protected by either an air gap or double-check valve assembly.
   5. The following shall be protected by air breaks: ice containers and ice machines.
   6. Fire sprinklers plumbed into a potable water line over gas water heaters and/or furnaces shall not be required to install a backflow device unless required by local ordinance;
6. Liquid propane (LP) gas systems shall be tested for leaks on a yearly basis.