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2012 Virginia Mechanical Code Update Training

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Henrico County Department of

Building Construction and Inspections

Introduction

This presentation…

was prepared by the Henrico County Building Inspection staff and will highlight and provide explanation for the most significant changes in the 2012 Mechanical Code.

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DPOR Certification For Contractors & Tradesmen

To receive credit towards certification renewal you must present a photo ID, your current tradesmen certificate and sign the attendance form when you enter and when you leave this seminar.

A Certificate of Attendance will be provided for your records.

Registration records will be forwarded to DPOR and will be maintained by Henrico County for 5 years as required by DPOR regulations.

Questions are Welcome!!! You are probably not the only person with the same question.

Ask questions when the applicable slide is showing.

Questions & Answers will be recorded and posted on our web page.

Questions

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Before we begin… Please turn off anything that rings, dings, sings,

clangs, bangs, buzzes or whistles Dixie

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Follow-Ups Delinquent permits

Case inactive for 63 days

• Follow-up activity automatically generated

• Inspector call or site visit

• Passed follow-up inspection does not close the case

Permit cancelled after 6 months of inactivity and no violations

• Can request permit extensions in writing

If final inspection has not been approved and/or violations are not corrected a Notice of Violation will be issued

Court if Notice of Violation not satisfied

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Phone calls

Generally not required for someone to be on site unless ACCESS is an issue

◦ Security◦ Ladder◦ Locked doors

Phone calls Contact phone numbers

◦ Not office personnel◦ Someone familiar with the job

Inspector time request for ACCESS purposes ONLY◦ Job to be complete prior to inspection request◦ AM & PM requests◦ 30 minute courtesy call

Water & Sewer (open ditches) and concrete placement inspections – we will accommodate as best we can

Chimney Inspections

There is a new policy and instructions being worked on for chimneys. This will be on a mechanical permit and have a new request number of 220 for a chimney liner inspection. Any pictures associated with your job will be e-mailed to Gwen Couram before your inspection requests. Do not send any pictures to the inspector.

Virginia Mechanical Code

In Virginia, under authority granted by law, the Statewide Building Code is promulgated by the Board of Housing and Community Development.

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Virginia Residential Code

The Virginia Residential Code (VRC) combines the 2012 IRC and the

2012 Virginia Construction Code (VCC) into one document

The VRC includes provisions for One & Two Family Dwellings and

Townhouses of no more than 3 stories in height related to building,

plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fuel gas and energy conservation.

The VRC is published by the International Code Council

Available from w w w. I C C s a f e . o r g

+ =

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Virginia Mechanical Code The Virginia Mechanical Code (VMC) combines the 2012

IMC and the 2012 Virginia Construction Code (VCC) into one document.

The VMC includes provisions for Commercial buildings

and One & Two Family Dwellings and Townhouses More than 3 stories in height

The VMC is published by the International Code Council

Available from w w w. I C C s a f e . o r g

+ =

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Virginia Mechanical Code Comments on the conten t or

requ i rement s o f t he new code shou ld be d i rec ted to :

Emory Rodgers Deputy Director of Building and Fire Regulations

Dept. Of Housing & Community Development

600 East Main Street, Suite 300 Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 371-7000

emory.rodgers@dhcd.virginia.gov

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Administration

•The 2012 Edition of the VCC replaces the use of Chapter1 in all 2012 editions of the model codes.

Chapter 1 Administration

• Effective date of the 2012 Edition of the VCC/VRC was

• July 14, 2014

• You may choose to apply for permits using the 2009 referenced codes until July 13, 2015, after which date the 2012 editions will be the required model codes.

Chapter 2

DEFINITIONS

Added in 2012

Environmental Air –The parking garage exhaust was added to the definition which is the air that is not part of the heating or air-conditioning systems.

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Added in 2012

Press Joint :A permanent mechanical joint created using a fitting that combines an elastomeric seal and a corrosion-resistant grip ring. The joint is made with a pressing tool made by the fitting manufacture.

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Added in 2012

Third-Party Certification Agency:

An approved agency that does testing, assessment and surveillance of the product being tested.

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Added in 2012

Third-Party Certified:◦ A certification obtained for a product by the

manufacturer from a Third-Party Certification Agency.

◦ Third-Party Tested: The documentation of the testing done by an approved laboratory.

VMC CHAPTER 3VRC CHAPTER 13

GENERAL REGULATIONS

301.3/M1301.2 Identification

Added in 2012 All pipe, tubing and fittings shall bear the

identification of the manufacturer.

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301.4/M1301.4 Plastic Pipe, Fittings And Components

NSF 14 Standard for plastic piping system components & materials

All plastic pipe, fittings and components shall be certified to NSF 14 by a third-party agency.

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301.5/M1301.5 Third-Party Testing And Certification

Added in 2012

Not only plastic, but all piping, tubing and fittings, shall be tested and approved by a third party testing agency or certified by an approved third party certification agency.

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301.9/M1303.1 Label InformationAdded #4:

A factory applied nameplate for each electric comfort heating appliance shall bear the rating in volts, amperes and phase, Btu/h output rating and required clearance from combustibles.

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301.16/M1301.1.1 Flood Hazard

For structures located in aflood hazard zone, equipment shall be located at or above the flood elevation as required by the IBC section 1612.

Mechanical systems, equipment and appliances are permitted to be located below the flood elevation provided they resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads including the effects of buoyancy.

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304.3/M1307.3 Elevation of Ignition Source

Exception added: The elevation of the

ignition source is not required for appliances that are listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant unless the manufactures installation instructions require it to be elevated.

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306.5 Equipment and Appliances on Roofs or Elevated StructuresWhen accessing equipment on roofs and climbing

over obstructions over 30” high, a permanent ladder shall be installed. Portable ladders are not acceptable. The upper rung of a ladder serving a hatch, roof or parapet shall not be more the 24” below the upper edge. The distance to the nearest object shall be 30” on each side from the center of the top rung. A cage around the ladder shall be provided a minimum of 15” on each side. A 30”X30” landing from the center of the rung shall be provided at the base of the ladder.

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306.5 Equipment and Appliances on Roofs or Elevated Structures

Amended to revise existing requirements and add three new requirements to the minimumdesign criteria that dictate how and where permanent ladders are to be installed.

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Item #2 Rung spacing (Amended)24” is the max. distance from the last rung up to the roof or

roof hatch.

A portable ladder shall not be used to access a permanent

ladder.

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Item #7 Climbing clearance (New) Item #8 Landing required (New) Item #10 Access to ladders (New)

30”

306.5 Equipment and Appliances on Roofs or Elevated Structures

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306.5 Equipment and Appliances on Roofs or Elevated Structures

8. Added: 30”x30” clear landing area required

10. Added: Access to ladders shall be provided at all times

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IRC M1401.2 Access

To provide access to heating and cooling equipment, the construction of the building and the location of other equipment needs to be considered so that servicing and replacement is possible.

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IRC Section M1501.1, M1506.2 General

All mechanical exhaust shall discharge to the outside and not to an attic, soffit, ridge vent or crawl space. All exhaust openings shall be at least 3’ from property lines, operable and non operable openings into the buildings, and 10’ from mechanical air intakes unless they are 3’ above the air intake openings.

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IRC Section 1502.4.1IMC 504.6.1

Clothes Dryer Exhaust

The exhaust material shall have a smooth interior surface, be constructed of 28 gage thick metal and the duct shall be at least 4” in diameter.

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IRC Section M1502.4.4.1

This change mirrors the existing IMC section 504.6.4.1 which increases the length of the dryer exhaust from 25’ to 35’. There is an existing section, M1502.4.4.2, which allows the installer to use the manufactures installation instructions for the proper installation of the dryer exhaust.

IRC Section M1901.1 Ranges and Ovens

The installation of a listed and labeled cooking appliance or microwave oven over top of a listed and labeled cooking appliance shall conform to the terms of the upper appliance’s manufactures installation instructions.

For domestic oven-top broilers, a clearance of 24” shall be maintained between the coking surface and combustible material.

IRC Section M1901.2Cooking Appliances

This section adds several UL listings. Electrical cooking appliances shall comply with UL 1026 or UL 858 and solid fuel fired fireplace stoves shall comply with UL 737.

IRC Section M1901.3Prohibited Locations

Cooking appliances that are designed, tested, listed and labeled for commercial use, cannot be installed in residential domestic cooking applications.

IRC Chapter 23Solar Energy Systems

There is a new section in this chapter. It is section M2302, Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems.

When panels are mounted on roofs, they shall comply with Chapter 9 which is Roof Assemblies.

When panels are mounted on the ground, they shall be installed as per the manufactures installation instructions.

Panels and modules shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1703.

Inverters shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1741.

308.5 Labeled Assemblies

The clearance reduction assembly to reduce clearance to combustibles must be Listed and labeled to UL 1618

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Chapter 4

VENTILATION

401.4 Intake Opening Location

Added:

Outdoor air intake openings that are located at least 25 feet above streets, alleys, parking lots and loading docks may be located less than 10 feet horizontally from such locations.

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401.4 Intake Opening Location

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403.3 Outdoor Airflow Rate

Note e revised: The lower rate of 50 cfm (per water closet or urinal) is required for public toilet facilities where the exhaust system is designed to operate continuously. The higher rate of 70 cfm is required where the system is designed to operate intermittently.

Note f revised: (Applies to residential occupancies) Allows the lower rate in Table 403.3 if operating continuously while occupied instead of during “normal hours of use”.

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Table 403.3 Outdoor Airflow Rate

Note h : Instead of “for nail

salons”, it now reads “for each nail station”. So instead of 50 cfm for an entire salon, it requires 50 cfm for each nail station in a nail salon.

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404.1 Enclosed Parking Garages

Adds a second ventilation control option—

2) The system shall be arranged to operate automatically by means of carbon monoxide detectors applied in conjunction with nitrogen dioxide detectors…

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VRC M1401.3 Equipment and Appliance Sizing

Added “appliances” to heating/cooling sizing requirements (ACCA Manual S or by other approved methodologies)

Exceptions: ◦ If using multi-stage, or soft start, or variable

speed technologies.◦ Allows use of the next larger standard size

equipment.◦ Allows installation of smallest size unit from a

given manufacturer (even if over sized).

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Chapter 5

EXHAUST SYSTEMS

501.2 Independent system required

Makes clear that the following mechanical exhaust systems shall be independent:◦ Environmental air◦ Dryer exhaust◦ Type I and II exhaust◦ Kitchen exhaust

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501.3.2 Exhaust Opening Protection

Exhaust louvers in hurricane-prone regions (Vultover 115mph) must comply with AMCA 550.

Louvers tested according to AMCA 550 are designed to prevent wind-driven water intrusion.

Figure 1609 in the IBC identifies these regions.

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501.3.2 Exhaust Opening Protection (continued)

504.8 Common Exhaust Systems for Clothes Dryers - Multistory Structures

Added #12: Common multistory duct system shall serve only clothesdryers and shall be independent of other exhaust systems

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505.1 Domestic Kitchen Exhaust Equipment

Section 505.1 in the 2009 VMC only regulated domestic kitchen exhaust equipment installed in dwelling units. The 2012 VMC now applies to domestic kitchen exhausts installed all use groups –more information in VMC 505.3 & 507.2.3.

Ductwork must be independent of other systems

505.1 Domestic Systems Exception 1

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• This exception allows ductless domestic kitchen exhaust hoods in residential uses only where mechanical or natural ventilation is provided in accordance with Chapter 4.

• Domestic kitchen exhausts in all other uses must discharge to the outside.

505.3 Domestic Kitchen Exhaust Equipment

For non-residential buildings, electric domestic cooking appliances and hoods may be installed, but only if used for domestic purposes.

A Type I or Type II hood is required for electric domestic cooking appliances installed in non-residential buildings for commercial purposes.

Fuel-fired appliances in non-residential buildings still require a Type I or Type II hood per 507.2.

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506.3.7.1 Grease Reservoirs

New section provides criteria for construction of a grease reservoir in a grease duct system where the reservoir is not a manufactured product.

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506.3.8 Grease Duct Cleanouts and Other Openings

This section has been revised to add requirements for:

Cleanout doors to be liquid tight ,and

Gasket and sealing materials shall be rated for not less than1,500o F

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506.3.9 Grease Duct Horizontal Cleanouts

In addition to being required at intervals of 20 feet or less, cleanouts are now required at grease reservoirs and within 10 feet of changes in direction over 45 degrees.

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506.3.10 Underground Grease Duct Installation

New section1) Ducts shall be constructed of

steel having a minimum thickness of 0.0575 and shall be coated toprovide protection from corrosion or shall be constructed of Stainless Steel.2) Must pass a light test prior to

burial.3) Encased in min. 4” concrete4) Ducts shall slope toward

reservoirs5) Cleanouts required and locations

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507 Commercial Kitchen Hoods507.2 Where Required

A new exception has been added to permit integral down-draft exhaust systems complying with NFPA 96. in lieu of a Type I or II hood installed above the appliance.

Note: Section 15 of NFPA 96

specifies grease collection methods, clearances, air movement requirements, and fire protection for these systems.

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507.2.1 Type I Hoods

Type I hood not required for

electric cooking appliances if

cooking process does not

produce grease in quantities

above 5mg/m3 when the

appliance is tested in accordance

with Section17 of UL710B

Type II hood or incorporation

into HVAC design still required.

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507.2.1.2 Exhaust Flow Rate Label

Manufacturers of listed Type I commercial cooking hoods are now required to provide information on a label attached to the hood. The label shall specify the listed minimum exhaust air flow for the hood based upon the cooking appliance duty classification.

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507.2.2 Type II Hoods

Change clarifies that areas with cooking appliances that do not require a hood shall be exhausted at 0.70 cfm per ft2. Each appliance shall be considered as occupying not less than 100 square feet.

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507.2.3 Domestic Cooking Appliances Used for Commercial

PurposesState Amendment:Adds a new sentence to

refer back to Section 505 when domestic cooking appliances are being used for domestic purposes (covered earlier).

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507.10 Hoods Penetrating a Ceiling

Hoods penetrating a ceiling must be protected using a fire-rated shaft enclosure (VMC 506.3.11.1).

Field-applied grease duct enclosure systems (duct wrap) shall not be used to protect a hood that penetrates a ceiling.

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507.11 Grease Filters

Grease filters are now required to be listed and labeled per UL 1046.

UL 1046 is a new referenced standard that tests the effectiveness of the filter at collecting grease and limiting flame projection downstream.

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510.8.1Duct Joints in Hazardous Exhaust Systems

A new sentence is added to recognize that joints assembled in accordance with ANSI/SMACNA Round/Rectangular Industrial Duct Construction Standards comply with the prescriptive requirement for a minimum lap of 1 inch.

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514 Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems

Section modified to add a listing/labeling requirement for both ducted and non-ducted heat recovery ventilators.

Ducted - UL 1812 Non-ducted - UL 1815

Standards govern construction, performance, and factory testing of the unit.

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514.4 Recirculated Air

Normally, recirculated air is not counted toward the outside air required for ventilation (VMC 403.2.1)

If the air conveyed in an energy recovery system accounts for less than 10% of the total airflow, it is not considered to be recirculated.

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Chapter 6

Duct Systems

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601.4 Contamination Prevention

2nd exception added: Exhaust ducts under positive pressure,

chimneys and vents are now permitted to pass through a plenum as long as the installation meets one of the following:

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601.4 Contamination Prevention (continued)

Venting system is listed for positive pressure:

Seals listed for positive pressure

601.4 Contamination Prevention (continued)

OR no fittings/joints in plenum space:

601.4 Contamination Prevention (continued)

OR installed in an enclosure with sealed joints:

Enclosure with sealed joints

Joints now permitted in ceiling space

Not required to be a SHAFT, but must have sealed joints.

601.4 Contamination Prevention -Summary

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603.17 Air Dispersion Systems

VMC now recognizes air dispersion systems listed and labeled per UL 2518.

UL 2518 provides requirements for permeability, surface burning characteristics, humidity, temperature range.

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603.17 Air Dispersion Systems (cont.)

Install only in exposed locations Positive pressure systems only No allowed to penetrate fire-resistance-rated

construction

Chapter 8

Chimneys and Vents

804.3.8 Mechanical Draft Systems

Section modified to require mechanical draft devices to be listed and labeled in accordance with UL378. This standard regulates the construction, performance, and testing of the equipment.

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805.3 Factory-Built Chimney Offsets

Chimney offsets are limited to no more than 30 degrees from vertical and 4 elbows maximum.

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Chapter 9

Specific Appliances, Fireplaces and Solid Fuel-Burning

Equipment

901.4 Fireplace Accessories

Fireplace accessories must now comply with UL 907

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UL 907 regulates factory construction, performance, and testing of the equipment, including all electrical components.

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903.2 Hearth Extensions

This section has been modified to require that listed and labeled hearth extensions comply with UL 1618. The hearth extension shall be installed in accordance with the listing of the fireplace.

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927 (New) Radiant Heating Systems

System must be listed for application Clearances to electrical equipment per

IBC and NFPA 70.

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927 (New) Radiant Heating Systems (cont.)

Installation on wood or steel framing◦ Panels mount parallel to framing or installed between

framing◦ Fasteners may not be closer than ¼” to the element

(or per manufacturer’s instructions)◦ No field cutting of panels unless listed

927 (New) Radiant Heating Systems (cont.)

Installed in concrete/masonry◦ Listed for this application◦ Do not install across expansion joints unless

protected from expansion and contraction

928.1 (New) General. Evaporative Cooling Equipment

General requirements for evaporative cooling equipment used as a primary cooling method or to augment other systems.

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Equipment shall be:◦ Installed on level platforms

◦ Install per manufacturer’s instructions

◦ Openings in walls and roofs must be flashed per VCC

◦ Air intakes located

per VMC 401.4

928.1 (New) General. Evaporative Cooling Equipment (Continued) Water supply must be sized for peak demand Piping system must be in accordance with the

VPC.◦ Cross contamination

prevention

◦ Pipe materials◦ Connections◦ Valves required at each piece

of equipment

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Chapter 11

Refrigeration

1105.6.3 Ventilation Rate

Provides ventilation rates specific to ammonia refrigeration systems – minimum 30 air changes per hour per IIAR 2 (International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration).

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IIAR 2 provides complete system design requirements for ammonia systems, including equipment, controls, room design, and detection systems.

1106.5.1 Refrigeration System Emergency Shutoff for Machine

Rooms Vapor detectors now required in refrigeration

machine rooms. All equipment shall automatically shut down whenever refrigerant concentrations exceed the vapor detectors upper limit or 25% of the LEL, whichever is lower.

Questions?

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Questions & Answers:

From Classroom

Discussion

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