In BASIX the installation of clothes lines reduces the energy use assigned to clothes dryers. Indoor and outdoor clothes drying lines are recognised in single dwellings and multi units.
Indoor or sheltered clothes drying line
- An indoor clothes drying line must be a fixed (permanent) installation that is not heated by a dedicated gas or electric heater (it may be heated using waste heat from another appliance – you will need to apply for an alternative assessment if you wish to claim the greenhouse gas emission savings of doing this).
- A sheltered clothes drying line is a fixed (permanent) outdoor clothes line that is protected from the rain, e.g. on a covered balcony or under a verandah.
Examples of indoor or sheltered clothes drying lines include a screened line on balconies and an extendable line over a bath.
See also the Building Code of Australia provisions for minimum indoor clothesline length or laundry facility size in multi-unit apartments.
Private outdoor unsheltered clothes drying line
A private outdoor unsheltered clothes drying line is an outdoor clothes line that receives at least two hours of sunlight during winter, and is not shared with other dwellings.
Common clothes drying line (Multi unit only)
BASIX includes the option of installing a common area clothes drying line in multi unit developments.
It should be noted that clothes drying facilities must be provided as part of the Building Code of Australia (See BCA volume 1: Part F2 Sanitary and other facilities).