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13.7

Part 13.7 Services

Part 13.7 Services

NCC Blurbs

(1) This Part applies to—

  1. a Class 1 building; and
  2. a Class 10a building.

(2) The provisions of (1) do not apply to existing services associated with existing buildings being relocated.

NCC Title

Application of Part 13.7

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Replacement
NCC SPTC Current
Application of Part 13.7

(1) This Part applies to—

  1. a Class 1 building; and
  2. a Class 10a building; and
  3. a Class 10b swimming pool associated with a Class 1 or 10a building.

(2) Part 13.7 must be applied as directed in H6D2(2).

Thermal insulation for central heating water piping and heating and cooling ductwork must—

  1. be protected against the effects of weather and sunlight; and
  2. be able to withstand the temperatures within the piping or ductwork; and
  3. use thermal insulation material in accordance with AS/NZS 4859.1.

Explanatory information

The central heating water piping provisions apply to systems designed to heat the building via water, such as a hydronic heating system.

(1) Central heating water piping that is not within a conditioned space must be thermally insulated to achieve the minimum material R-Values as set out in (2) to (6).

(2) Internal piping including—

  1. flow and return piping that is—
    1. within an unventilated wall space; or
    2. within an internal floor between storeys; or
    3. between ceiling insulation and a ceiling; and
  2. heated water piping encased within a concrete floor slab (except that which is part of a floor heating system),

must, in all climate zones, have a minimum material R-Value of 0.4.

(3) Piping located within a ventilated wall space, an enclosed building subfloor or a roof space, including—

  1. flow and return piping; and
  2. cold water supply piping within 500 mm of the connection to the central water heating system; and
  3. relief valve piping within 500 mm of the connection to the central water heating system,

must have a minimum material R-Value in accordance with (5).

(4) Piping located outside the building or in an unenclosed building subfloor or roof space, including—

  1. flow and return piping; and
  2. cold water supply piping within 500 mm of the connection to the central water heating system; and
  3. relief valve piping within 500 mm of the connection to the central water heating system,

must have a minimum material R-Value in accordance with (6).

(5) Piping referred to in (3) must have a minimum material R-Value of—

  1. in climate zones 1, 2, 3 and 5 — 0.6; and
  2. in climate zones 4, 6 and 7 — 0.9; and
  3. in climate zone 8 — 1.3.

(6) Piping referred to in (4) must have a minimum material R-Value of—

  1. in climate zones 1, 2, 3 and 5 — 0.6; and
  2. in climate zones 4, 6 and 7 — 1.3; and
  3. in climate zone 8 — 1.3.

Explanatory information

  • The insulation levels in Explanatory Table 13.7.3 are typical examples of materials that can be used to insulate central heating water piping calculated in accordance with AS/NZS 4859.1.
  • The R-Value is that of the insulation and not the Total R-Value of the pipe, air film and insulation. Where piping has a significant inherent R-Value it may be subtracted from the material R-Value required. However, the inherent R-Value of most piping is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of 13.7.3.
  • Piping within a timber member, such as that passing through a wall stud, is considered to have sufficient insulation for the purposes of 13.7.3.
  • Explanatory Table 13.7.3 provides examples for the R-Value of the insulation used for smaller diameter piping.
Table 13.7.3 (explanatory) R-Value of insulation used for smaller diameter piping
Insulation R-Value
9 mm of closed cell polymer 0.4
13 mm of closed cell polymer 0.6
19 mm of closed cell polymer 0.9
25 mm of closed cell polymer 1.3
25 mm of glasswool 1.3

(1) Heating and cooling ductwork and fittings must—

  1. achieve the material R-Value in (4); and
  2. be sealed against air loss—
    1. by closing all openings in the surface, joints and seams of ductwork with adhesives, mastics, sealants or gaskets in accordance with AS 4254.1 and AS 4254.2 for a Class C seal; or
    2. for flexible ductwork, with a draw band in conjunction with a sealant or adhesive tape.

(2) Duct insulation must—

  1. abut adjoining duct insulation to form a continuous barrier; and
  2. be installed so that it maintains its position and thickness, other than at flanges and supports; and
  3. where located outside the building, under a suspended floor, in an attached Class 10a building or in a roof space—
    1. be protected by an outer sleeve of protective sheeting to prevent the insulation becoming damp; and
    2. have the outer protective sleeve sealed with adhesive tape not less than 48 mm wide creating an airtight and waterproof seal.

(3) The requirements of (1) do not apply to heating and cooling ductwork and fittings located within the insulated building envelope including a service riser within the conditioned space, internal floors between storeys and the like.

(4) The material R-Value required by (1)(a) must be determined in accordance with the following:

  1. In a heating-only system or cooling-only system including an evaporative cooling system—
    1. ductwork must have a minimum material R-Value of—
      1. in climate zones 1 to 7 — 1.0; and
      2. in climate zone 8 — 1.5; and
    2. fittings must have a minimum material R-Value of 0.4.
  2. In a combined heating and refrigerated cooling system—
    1. ductwork must have a minimum material R-Value of—
      1. in climate zones 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 — 1.5; and
      2. in climate zones 2 and 5 — 1.0; and
      3. in climate zone 8 — 1.5; and
    2. fittings must have a minimum material R-Value of 0.4.
  3. For the purposes of (b)(i), the minimum material R-Value required for ductwork may be reduced by 0.5 for combined heating and refrigerated cooling systems in climate zones 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 if the ducts are—
    1. under a suspended floor with an enclosed perimeter; or
    2. in a roof space that has an insulation of greater than or equal to R0.5 directly beneath the roofing.

Explanatory information

  • Ductwork within a fully insulated building may still benefit from insulation particularly when the system is only operating for short periods.
  • In some climate zones condensation may create problems with uninsulated ductwork, in which case insulation should still be considered.
  • An enclosed perimeter treatment means that the airspace under the floor is enclosed between ground and floor level by walls which have only the required subfloor vents.
  • Insulation for refrigerated cooling ductwork should have a vapour barrier to prevent possible damage by condensation.
  • The insulation levels in the Explanatory Tables 13.7.4a, 13.7.4b and 13.7.4c are typical examples of materials that can be used to insulate ductwork and the R-Values they contribute. Other methods are available for meeting the minimum material R-Value required by 13.7.4(4). These values do not take into account all issues that may reduce the effectiveness of insulation. AS/NZS 4859.1 should be used to confirm in-situ values.
  • For fittings, 11 mm polyurethane typically provides an R-Value of 0.4.
  • Any flexible ductwork used for the transfer of products, initiating from a heat source that contains a flame, must also have the fire hazard properties required by H3D2(2).
Table 13.7.4a (explanatory) R-Values for typical ductwork insulation materials – flexible ductwork
Insulating material and thickness R-Value
45 mm glasswool (11 kg/m3) 1.0
70 mm polyester (6.4 kg/m3) 1.0
63 mm glasswool (11 kg/m3) 1.5
90 mm polyester (8.9 kg/m3) 1.5
85 mm glasswool (11 kg/m3) 2.0
Table 13.7.4b (explanatory) R-Value for typical ductwork insulation materials – sheetmetal ductwork – external insulation
Insulating material and thickness R-Value 
38 mm glasswool (22 kg/m3) 1.0
50 mm polyester (20 kg/m3) 1.1
50 mm glasswool (22 kg/m3) 1.5
75 mm polyester (20 kg/m3) 1.7
Table 13.7.4c (explanatory) R-Values for typical ductwork insulation materials – sheetmetal ductwork – internal insulation
Insulating material and thickness R-Value 
38 mm glasswool (32 kg/m3) 1.0
50 mm polyester (32 kg/m3) 1.3
50 mm glasswool (32 kg/m3) 1.5
NCC Title

Electric resistance space heating

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Deletion
NCC SPTC Current
Electric resistance space heating
NCC Notice

13.7.5 does not apply in NSW.

An electric resistance space heating system that serves more than one room must have—

  1. separate isolating switches for each room; and
  2. a separate temperature controller and time switch for each group of rooms with common heating needs; and
  3. power loads of not more than 110 W/m2 for living areas, and 150 W/m2 for bathrooms.
NCC Title

Artificial lighting

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Deletion
NCC SPTC Current
Artificial lighting
NCC Notice

13.7.6 does not apply in NSW.

(1) The lamp power density or illumination power density of artificial lighting, excluding heaters that emit light, must not exceed the allowance of—

  1. 5 W/m2 in a Class 1 building; and
  2. 4 W/m2 on a verandah, balcony or the like attached to a Class 1 building; and
  3. 3 W/m2 in a Class 10a building associated with a Class 1 building.

(2) The illumination power density allowance in (1) may be increased by dividing it by the relevant illumination power density adjustment factor for a control device in (6) as applicable.

(3) When designing the lamp power density or illumination power density, the power of the proposed installation must be used rather than nominal allowances for exposed batten holders or luminaires.

(4) If halogen lamps are installed, they must be separately switched from fluorescent lamps.

(5) Artificial lighting around the perimeter of a building must—

  1. be controlled by a daylight sensor; or
  2. have an average light source efficacy of not less than 40 Lumens/W.

(6) The following illumination power density adjustment factors apply to control devices for artificial lighting:

  1. Lighting timer for corridor lighting: 0.7.
  2. Motion detector —
    1. 0.9, where —
      1. at least 75% of the area of a space is controlled by one or more motion detectors; or
      2. an area of less than 200 m2 is switched as a block by one or more motion detectors; and
    1. 0.7, where up to 6 lights are switched as a block by one or more detectors; and
    2. 0.55, where up to 2 lights are switched as a block by one or more detectors.
  3. Manual dimming system where not less than 75% of the area of a space is controlled by manually operated dimmers: 0.85.
  4. Programmable dimming system where not less than 75% of the area of a space is controlled by programmable dimmers: 0.85.
  5. Dynamic dimming system, with automatic compensation for lumen depreciation, the design lumen depreciation factor is not less than —
    1. 0.9 for fluorescent lights; or
    2. 0.8 for high pressure discharge lights.
  6. Fixed dimming where at least 75% of the area is controlled by fixed dimmers that reduce the overall lighting level and the power consumption of the lighting — equal to the % of full power to which the dimmer is set divided by 0.95.
  7. Daylight sensor and dynamic lighting control device, with dimmed or stepped switching of lights adjacent to windows:
    1. Lights within the space adjacent to windows other than roof lights for a distance from the window equal to the depth of the floor at window head height: 0.5.
    2. Lights within the space adjacent to roof lights: 0.6.

(7) For the purposes of (6)(c), manual dimming is where lights are controlled by a knob, slider or other mechanism or where there are pre-selected scenes that are manually selected.

(8) For the purposes of (6)(d), programmed dimming is where pre-selected scenes or levels are automatically selected by the time of day, photoelectric cell or occupancy sensor.

(9) For the purposes of (6)(e), dynamic dimming is where the lighting level is varied automatically by a photoelectric cell to either proportionately compensate for the availability of daylight or the lumen depreciation of the lamps.

(10) For the purposes of (6)(f), fixed dimming is where lights are controlled to a level and that level cannot be adjusted by the user.

(11) For the purposes of (6)(g)(i) and (ii), the illumination power density adjustment factor is only applied to lights controlled by that item — this adjustment factor does not apply to tungsten halogen or other incandescent sources.

Explanatory information

  • There are two approaches available for achieving compliance with (1) in Class 1 and associated Class 10a buildings. These are through the determination of the lamp power density or the illumination power density.
  • The first step in achieving compliance is to determine the relevant lamp power density or illumination power density allowance. Generally, the lamp power density or illumination power density is the relevant value in (1)(a), (b) or (c), however the illumination power density allowance can be increased in accordance with (2) if a control device is used.
  • When illumination power density and one or more control devices are used, the adjustment factor is only applied to the space(s) served by the control device. The adjusted allowance for this space is then combined with the allowances for the remaining spaces using an area weighted average, which subsequently increases the allowance provided in (1)(a), (b) or (c).
  • Where no control device is used the adjustment factor is equal to 1.
  • The second step in achieving compliance is to assess the overall lamp power density or overall illumination power density of the building.
  • The overall lamp power density is calculated by adding the maximum power ratings of all of the permanently wired lamps in a space and dividing this sum by the area of the space.
  • The overall illumination power density is calculated by adding the illumination power load for each space and dividing this sum by the area of the space.
  • Control device factors in (2) are only applied to the illumination power density, not the overall illumination power density.
  • To comply with (1), the overall lamp power density or overall illumination power density must be less than or equal to the allowance.
  • Trading of allowances between (1)(a), (b) and (c) is not permitted.
  • (1)(b) includes outdoor living spaces such as verandahs, balconies, patios, alfresco spaces or the like that are attached to a Class 1 building.
  • The artificial lighting requirements in 13.7.6 are to be read in conjunction with the artificial lighting requirements in 10.5.2.
  • The artificial lighting around the perimeter of a building does not need to comply to a maximum power density as neither the lighting required or the area of the space can be easily defined. Instead, external lights are required to be controlled by daylight sensors or to be efficient.
  • In (4), separate switching is required for halogen lamps to facilitate less frequent usage. This is because they are significantly less energy efficient that fluorescent lamps.
NCC Title

Water heater in a heated water supply system

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Deletion
NCC SPTC Current
Water heater in a heated water supply system
NCC Notice

13.7.7 does not apply in NSW.

A water heater in a heated water supply system must be designed and installed in accordance with Part B2 of NCC Volume Three — Plumbing Code of Australia.

NCC Title

Swimming pool heating and pumping

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Deletion
NCC SPTC Current
Swimming pool heating and pumping
NCC Notice

13.7.8 does not apply in NSW.

(1) Heating for a swimming pool must be by—

  1. a solar heater not boosted by electric resistance heating; or
  2. a heater using reclaimed energy; or
  3. a gas heater; or
  4. a heat pump; or
  5. a combination of (a) to (d).

(2) Where some or all of the heating required by (1) is by a gas heater or a heat pump, the swimming pool must have—

  1. a cover with a minimum R-Value of 0.05, unless located in a conditioned space; and
  2. a time switch to control the operation of the heater.

(3) A time switch must be provided to control the operation of a circulation pump for a swimming pool.

(4) For the purposes of 13.7.8, a swimming pool does not include a spa pool.

NCC Title

Spa pool heating and pumping

NCC State
NSW
NCC Variation Type
Deletion
NCC SPTC Current
Spa pool heating and pumping
NCC Notice

13.7.9 does not apply in NSW.

(1) Heating for a spa pool that shares a water recirculation system with a swimming pool must be by—

  1. a solar heater; or
  2. a heater using reclaimed energy; or
  3. a gas heater; or
  4. a heat pump; or
  5. a combination of (a) to (d).

(2) Where some or all of the heating required by (1) is by a gas heater or a heat pump, the spa pool must have—

  1. a cover; and
  2. a push button and a time switch to control the operation of the heater.

(3) A time switch must be provided to control the operation of a circulation pump for a spa pool having a capacity of 680 L or more.