Health Care Plumbing and Special Fixtures
Health care plumbing
Health care facilities use special fixtures and connections that protect patients and the water supply. Clinical sinks, bedpan washers, and similar fixtures need proper backflow protection and often require an air gap or vacuum breaker. Sterilizers, dialysis machines, and laboratory equipment must be connected through an air gap or approved backflow preventer; many require indirect waste. Emergency showers and eyewash stations need tepid water and must be located within the required travel distance. Handwashing sinks must be accessible and supplied with hot and cold water.
Special fixtures
Health care fixtures may include hydrotherapy tubs, sitz baths, and dental units. Dental vacuum systems need a dedicated vacuum breaker or air gap. Medical gas piping is outside the plumbing code and requires specialized certification. Water for dialysis may need additional treatment, but the plumbing code still requires backflow protection at the connection.
Worked example
A sterilizer discharges condensate at high temperature. A direct connection to the sanitary drain is not acceptable because it can allow back-siphonage and steam damage. The correct installation is an indirect waste receptor with an air gap, sized for the discharge, with the receptor trapped and vented.
Traps
Do not direct-connect laboratory or sterilizer equipment to a drain. Do not omit tempering for emergency showers. Do not share a handwashing sink with a clinical sink. Do not assume a standard floor drain can serve as an indirect waste receptor without an air gap.