Repairing Standard: statutory guidance for private landlords

Annex D7: Installations for heating water

D.108 The Repairing Standard requires that a property has an installation for heating water. The installation for heating water must be in a reasonable state of repair and in proper working order.

D.109 The system for heating water will usually be the same system for heating rooms, but in some cases these may be separate systems.

D.110 The system must be capable of providing an adequate supply of hot water to meet normal use for washing and cleaning, the parameters for this are set out in paragraph D.38.

D.111 The system must comply with duty to minimise the risk of legionella, see paragraph D.32. The system must comply with the safety standards appropriate to the type of fuel used to heat the water, see Annexes D2, D3 and D4. The system must allow water to drain away properly after it has been used, see paragraph C.14.

D.112 Where water is stored at a temperature of not less than 60ºC, landlords should have regard to the guidance on hot water discharge from sanitary fittings in section 4.9.5 of the Scottish Building Standards Domestic Technical Handbook. To prevent scalding, the temperature of hot water, at point of delivery to a bath or bidet, should not exceed 48^oC which can be achieved by use of a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV). This does not require landlords to fit TMVs, or similar devices, to all existing bathrooms, but does apply when a dwelling is altered or extended and new sanitary facilities are provided.