Modern buildings have greater requirements for space utilisation, and the traditional laundry room with abundant space and a tub is not always achievable in these designs.

With the omission of the laundry tub, the go-to solution of a standpipe and surface mounted taps is both unsightly and takes up floor space which is at a premium. The surface mounted taps step into the space and the standpipe has the risk of being damaged, causing leaks and possible tracking of water into adjacent properties or rooms.

The design of the Allproof Laundry Outlet Box allows for these services to be mounted behind the wall linings, increasing usable space and giving a flush line for appliances to be installed into the tightest possible space. Hot and cold taps and discharge pipe are integrated into the injection moulded body which is fixed to noggings prior to lining. Once lined, a stainless steel or plastic cover plate hides the edge of the wallboard or tile.

The outlet box should be situated higher than the highest water level in the appliance to prevent siphoning. Plumbing of hot and cold feed can be achieved from above or below and the discharge pipe is bought up from below as per 13.25.1 ANZS3500.2-2018. The use of Allproof’s 40mm glued trap removes the requirement for an access hatch to service a mechanical jointed water seal.

The water trap should be located as close as practicable to the bottom plate, or even below the floor to remove the risk of suds building up and overflowing the outlet. The maximum developed length of the discharge pipe should not exceed 1.2m or be located in a separate room (3.3.1 G13/AS1 and AS/NZS 3500.2: 2018 clause 6.5).

A floor waste should be provided, and can be charged by the Laundry Outlet Box, vanity or shower. The floor waste will act as an emergency drain due to the blockage of an outlet in the room and is not intended to provide protection for a failure of a fixture or fitting. A pipe burst for example.

Smart use of fittings adds to useable space in a building. The use of the Laundry Outlet box could add up to 600mm to the end of a 10 unit floor by taking away the standpipe in the laundry cupboard. That could mean extra space in living areas for more comfortable apartment living.

The Allproof Laundry Outlet Box was used in 59 France Street Apartments by PBA, as well as in Quest Apartments in Christchurch, providing a smart saving solution for each project.