1、 2015CODE ANDCOMMENTARYThe complete IMC with commentary after eachsectionIMC2015 International Mechanical CodeCommentaryFirst Printing: October 2014ISBN: 978-1-60983-291-9COPYRIGHT 2014byINTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL, INC.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This 2015 International Mechanical CodeCommentary is a copyr
2、ighted work owned by the International Code Council, Inc. Without advance written permission from the copyright owner, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including, without limitation, electronic, optical or mechan-ical means (by way of e
3、xample, and not limitation, photocopying, or recording by or in an information storage retrieval system). For information on permission to copy material exceeding fair use, please contact: Publications, 4051 Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478. Phone 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233).Trademarks: “I
4、nternational Code Council,” the “International Code Council” logo and the “International Mechanical Code” are trademarks of the International Code Council, Inc.PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODECOMMENTARY iiiPREFACEInternationally, code officials recognize the need for a modern,
5、 up-to-date mechanical code addressing the design and installa-tion of mechanical systems through requirements emphasizing performance. The International Mechanical Code is designed tomeet these needs through model code regulations that safeguard the public health and safety in all communities, larg
6、e and small.The principal purpose of this Commentary is to provide a basic volume of knowledge and facts relating to the code. The Com-mentary provides it in a small package and at reasonable cost thorough coverage of many issues likely to be dealt with whenusing the International Mechanical Codeand
7、 then supplements that coverage with historical and technical background.Strenuous effort has been put into keeping the vast quantity of material accessible and its method of presentation useful. Witha comprehensive yet concise summary of each section, the Commentary is a convenient reference for me
8、chanical regulations. Inthe chapters that follow, discussions focus on the full meaning and implications of the code text. Guidelines suggest the mosteffective method of application, and the consequences of not adhering to the code text. Illustrations are provided to aid under-standing; they do not
9、necessarily illustrate the only methods of achieving code compliance.The format of the Commentary includes the full text of each section, table and figure in the code, followed immediately by thecommentary applicable to that text. At the time of printing, the Commentary reflects the most up-to-date
10、text of the 2015 Inter-national Mechanical Code. Each sections narrative includes a statement of its objective and intent, and usually includes a dis-cussion about why the requirement commands the conditions set forth. Code text and commentary text are easily distinguishedfrom each other. All code t
11、ext is shown as it appears in the International Mechanical Code, and all commentary is indentedbelow the code text and begins with the symbol .Readers should note that the Commentary is to be used in conjunction with the International Mechanical Code and not as asubstitute for the code. The Commenta
12、ry is advisory only; the code official alone possesses the authority and responsibility forinterpreting the code.Comments and recommendations are encouraged, for through your input, we can improve future editions. Please direct yourcomments to the Codes and Standards Development Department at the Ce
13、ntral Regional Office.ICC gratefully acknowledges the contributions to this commentary provided by Rebecca Quinn, Jeffrey Shapiro and GuyMcMann.iv 2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODECOMMENTARY 2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE COMMENTARY vTABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER 1 SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION. . . . .
14、. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1-20CHAPTER 2 DEFINITIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2-32CHAPTER 3 GENERAL REGULATIONS. . . . .
15、. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 3-46CHAPTER 4 VENTILATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 4-32CHAPTER 5 EXHAUST SYSTEMS . . .
16、 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 5-134CHAPTER 6 DUCT SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 6-70CHAPTER 7 COMBUSTIO
17、N AIR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 7-4CHAPTER 8 CHIMNEYS AND VENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1 8-30CHAPTER 9 S
18、PECIFIC APPLIANCES, FIREPLACES AND SOLIDFUEL-BURNING EQUIPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1 9-18CHAPTER 10 BOILERS, WATER HEATERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1 10-22CHAPTER 11 REFR
19、IGERATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 11-32CHAPTER 12 HYDRONIC PIPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1 12-26CHAP
20、TER 13 FUEL OIL PIPING AND STORAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1 13-10CHAPTER 14 SOLAR SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1 14-10CHAPTER
21、 15 REFERENCED STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1 15-12APPENDIX A CHIMNEY CONNECTOR PASS-THROUGHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 A-2APPENDIX B RECOMMENDED PERMIT FEE S
22、CHEDULE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1 B-2INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INDEX-1 INDEX-6vi 2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE COMMENTA
23、RY 2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODECOMMENTARY 1-1Chapter 1:Scope and AdministrationGeneral CommentsThis chapter contains provisions for the application,enforcement and administration of subsequent require-ments of the code. In addition to establishing the scopeof the code, Chapter 1 identifies whi
24、ch mechanicalequipment, appliances and systems it covers. Sections101 and 102 establish the scope and applicability of thecode and address existing equipment and systems.Section 103 establishes the department of mechanicalinspection and the appointment of department person-nel. Section 104 contains
25、the duties and authority of thecode official for rulemaking, permits, inspections andright of entry. Section 105 deals with approval of modifi-cations, alternative materials, methods and equipment.Section 106 states when permits, construction docu-ment submittals, permit issuance and fees are requir
26、ed.Section 107 includes inspection duties of the code offi-cial or an inspection agency that has been approved bythe code official, mechanical system testing, contractorresponsibilities, notice of approval and temporary con-nections for testing mechanical systems. Administrativeprovisions for violat
27、ions are addressed in Section 108,including provisions covering unlawful acts, violationnotices, prosecution, penalties, stop work orders andunsafe mechanical systems. Section 109 establishesthe board of appeals and includes provisions for appli-cation for appeal, membership of the board, boardmeeti
28、ng notices, open hearing requirements, whenpostponements are in order, appeals board decisionsand court review.The law of building regulation is based on the policepower of the state. This police power is the source of allauthority to enact building regulations. Police power isthe power of the state
29、 to legislate for the general welfareof its citizens. This power enables passage of such lawsas a mechanical code. It is from the police power dele-gated by the state legislature that local governments areable to enact building regulations. If the state legislaturehas limited this power in any way,
30、the municipality maynot exceed these limitations. Although the municipalitymay not further delegate its police power by delegatingthe burden of determining code compliance to the build-ing owner, contractor or architect, it may turn over theadministration of building regulations to a municipal offi-
31、cial, such as a code official, if he or she is given suffi-cient criteria to clearly establish the basis for decidingwhether or not a proposed building, including itsmechanical systems, conforms to the code.Chapter 1 of the code is largely concerned with main-taining “due process of law” in enforcin
32、g the perfor-mance criteria contained in the body of the code. Onlythrough careful observation of the administrative provi-sions can the code official demonstrate “equal protec-tion under the law.” Although the administrative andenforcement section of a code is geared toward thecode official, the pr
33、ovisions also establish the rights andprivileges of the design professional, the contractor andthe building owner. The position of the code official is toreview the proposed and completed work and to deter-mine whether a mechanical system installation con-forms to the code requirements. The designpr
34、ofessional is responsible for the design of a safemechanical system. The contractor is responsible forinstalling the system in strict accordance with the plans.During the construction of a mechanical system, thecode official reviews the activity to see that the spirit andintent of the law are being
35、met and that the mechanicalsystem provides adequate protection of public health.As a public servant, the code official enforces the codein an unbiased, proper manner. Every individual is guar-anteed equal enforcement of the code. Furthermore,design professionals, contractors and building ownershave
36、the right of due process for any requirement in thecode.PurposeA mechanical code, as with any other code, is intendedfor adoption as a legally enforceable document to safe-guard health, safety, property and public welfare. Amechanical code cannot be effective without adequateprovisions for its admin
37、istration and enforcement. Theofficial charged with the administration and enforcementof mechanical regulations has a great responsibility,and with this responsibility goes authority. No matterhow detailed the mechanical code may be, the codeofficial must, to some extent, exercise judgment indetermi
38、ning code compliance. The code official has theresponsibility for establishing that the homes in whichthe citizens of the community reside and the buildings inwhich they work are designed and constructed to bereasonably free from hazards associated with the pres-ence and use of mechanical equipment,
39、 appliances andsystems. The code intends to establish a minimumacceptable level of safety.SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION1-2 2015 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODECOMMENTARYPART 1SCOPE AND APPLICATIONSECTION 101GENERALA 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as theMechanical Code of NAME OF JURISDICTION
40、, hereinafterreferred to as “this code.”This section identifies the adopted regulations by theinsertion of the name of the adopting jurisdiction intothe code. This is one of several places in the codethat the adopting agency must “fill in the brackets” toinsert information that is specific to the lo
41、cal jurisdic-tion (see the sample ordinance in the front of thecode book).A 101.2 Scope. This code shall regulate the design, installa-tion, maintenance, alteration and inspection of mechanicalsystems that are permanently installed and utilized to providecontrol of environmental conditions and relat
42、ed processeswithin buildings. This code shall also regulate those mechani-cal systems, system components, equipment and appliancesspecifically addressed herein. The installation of fuel gas dis-tribution piping and equipment, fuel gas-fired appliances andfuel gas-fired appliance venting systems shal
43、l be regulated bythe International Fuel Gas Code.Exception: Detached one- and two-family dwellings andmultiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) not morethan three stories high with separate means of egress andtheir accessory structures shall comply with the Interna-tional Residential Code.This s
44、ection describes the types of mechanical sys-tems covered by the code. The code is applicablefrom the initial design of mechanical systems,through installation and construction and into themaintenance of operating systems. The scope of thecode is primarily focused on heating, ventilating andair-cond
45、itioning (HVAC) systems, those items specifi-cally addressed in the code and those building “ser-vice” items that make a building comfortable,functional and safe. The code is intended to cover allmechanical appliances, equipment and systems thatare specifically intended, designed and necessary forth
46、e general safety and well-being of the occupants ofa building. The code intends to regulate the installa-tion, operation and maintenance of any and all equip-ment and appliances that can affect the health, safetyand welfare of building occupants.Note that this section references the InternationalFue
47、l Gas Code(IFGC) for fuel-gas-related regula-tions. This is a result of a written cooperative agree-ment between the International Code Council(ICC)and the American Gas Association (AGA) to promul-gate the IFGC. All regulations for the installation offuel gas distribution piping and equipment, fuel
48、gas-fired appliances and fuel gas-fired appliance ventingsystems have been removed from the code. See theIFGC for fuel-gas-related requirements.The exception sends the user to the InternationalResidential Code(IRC) for one- and two-familydwellings and townhouses not more than three sto-ries in height. It is the intent of the ICC family of codesthat the International Mechanical Code(IMC) beapplied to structures not within the scope of the IRC.For example, a four-story single-family dwellingwould be subject to the provisions of the IMC.A 101.2.1 Appendices. Provisions in the appendices sha
