New PMG codes tackle clean air, child safety, drinking fountains

New features of the 2009 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes (PMG) include revised outdoor air ventilation requirements to improve air quality, requirements for locking caps on air conditioning units to prevent inhalation of refrigerants, and consistency in calculating restroom size in businesses. The new codes, available in March, address the design, installation and performance of plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas systems to assure they are safe and efficient. To pre-purchase the 2009 International Codes, visit www.iccsafe.org/2009icodes.

New features in the 2009 International Plumbing Code (IPC) include:

• Establishments with occupant loads of 15 or fewer are no longer required to provide drinking fountains.
• Site-built shower pans must be leak-tested to assure watertight installation to help prevent costly future repairs.
• The new code-required method for calculating the number of plumbing fixtures will prevent a shortage of fixtures in business occupancies.
• The 2009 International Private Sewage Disposal Code is now printed within the IPC. It includes provisions for design, installation, and inspection of private sewage disposal systems.

New requirements in the 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC) include:

• Revised outdoor air ventilation requirements to more closely reflect ASHRAE 62 and improve the indoor air quality performance of systems designed to the IMC.
• Increase from 25 to 35 feet the maximum length of a clothes dryer duct to provide more flexibility for locating clothes dryers.
• A new section requiring locking access caps on outdoor refrigerant systems to prevent children from easily accessing and potentially inhaling the refrigerant.

New elements in the 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) include:

• New bonding requirements for CSST piping systems to reduce the chance of damage from lightning.
• Revisions to address the problem created by appliance/hood interlock arrangements that shut off the gas supply to appliances equipped with standing pilot ignition systems.
• A new code section requiring all vents that penetrate an exterior wall to be permanently sealed around the penetration to prevent the entry of combustion products.

The IPC is used in 38 states and Washington, D.C.; 47 states and the nation’s capital use the IMC; and 43 states and Washington, D.C., use the IFGC. Each edition of the codes incorporates tested new technologies and lessons learned to make communities safer. For more information about the Code Council’s PMG initiatives, visit iccsafe.org/pmg or email PMGresourcecenter@iccsafe.org.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council.