June 27,
2007 minutes
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MEMBERS
PRESENT: |
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Jim
Sparkes, Bryan Wyatt, Gary Mohr, Kevin Chaney |
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MEMBERS
ABSENT: |
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Mark
Jarboe |
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GUEST
PRESENT: |
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None |
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STAFF
PRESENT: EX-OFFICIO: |
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Tim
Pinnick, Plan Review Manager Patrick
O’Brien, Mechanical Inspector |
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Meeting called to order at 6:34 p.m.
After review, Wyatt made a
motion to approve the minutes as written. Seconded by Mohr, pass 4-0.
Discuss plumbing board concerns
Chaney
mentioned there was a Plumbing board meeting on July 18, 2007. Chaney stated the reason he has mentioned the
Plumbing board meeting is because the Plumbing board has decided unanimously to
adopt the plumbing portions of the IRC, the IFGC and the IPC in it’s entirety
without any amendments. He stated that
he spoke with staff members
Mohr
stated that if the Plumbing board was not planning to amend the IFGC regarding
the gas pipe test pressure as the Mechanical board had discussed, he suggested
proposing an amendment to change the test pressure requirements.
Wyatt
stated that since the Plumbing board has “jurisdiction” over the gas piping,
maybe the Mechanical board should let the Plumbing board know the Mechanical
board has a concern about it.
Chaney
inquired from Mohr if he had experienced problems with water pipe sizing in the
IPC.
Mohr
responded they design over code minimums so they have not experienced any
problems.
Wyatt
suggested approaching the Plumbing board as a board and raise concerns about
the gas pipe test pressure requirements.
Mohr made a motion proposing and amendment to
406.4.1, changing the minimum test pressure to 10 psi. Seconded by Chaney. Pass
4-0.
Wyatt
asked if there was any reason given why there were not any amendments made to
the codes.
Chaney
stated that he had been told that since the international code had been forced
on them, that they decided to just adopt the code as-is.
Wyatt
stated his concern would mainly be the gas pipe test pressures and that he
would not have the expertise to question water pipe and vent pipe sizing.
Sparkes
stated that he was surprised that there would be no amendments whatsoever.
Wyatt
stated he is surprised that they would go from the number of amendments to no
amendments.
Discuss the review of chapters 1-6 of the 2006 IMC
Staff
mentioned to the board that chapter 1 will be deleted entirely and a local
administration would be used and the administration of each trade would be
combined.
Staff
stated section 304.3 will be amended to reflect the existing amendment for
elevation of ignition source. Section
303.3 will need to add hot tub rooms to reflect the IRC.
Mohr asked
about section 302.4 “Alterations to trusses” requiring approval from design
professional before adding extra loads such as mechanical equipment and if the
City is requiring compliance to this section.
Staff
confirmed.
Chaney
asked if that would be required even with a unit heater.
Staff
stated there have been instances where contractors had to move equipment from
the roof because engineers would not approve the application.
Sparkes
asked if the requirement would include all types of equipment.
Staff
responded most wood trusses are manufactured only for the ceiling load and the
roof load and can not accommodate additional loading.
Chaney
asked if they wanted to leave the requirement the way it is.
Pinnick
responded to check to see if the trusses allow for storage and if so, a unit heater
could be accommodated.
Mohr
stated his preference would be to leave section 304.3 the way it is written
since it is covered in the IRC. He moved to leave section 304.3 in the IMC and
305.3 in the IFGC as is. Seconded by Chaney. Pass
4-0.
Chaney
inquired about section 306.1.1 requiring 3” clearance around the sides and back
of the furnace.
Wyatt
replied the manufacturer allows zero clearance around the back and sides of the
furnace but the code would be more stringent and would have to meet the
requirement.
Chaney
stated he was mainly concerned about replacements and trying to obtain the
clearance required would be difficult.
Staff
replied that there is an exception that allows replacements as long as the
manufacturer allows it.
Mohr
stated on new construction, the requirement should stay.
Wyatt
agreed that on new construction, the clearance should be maintained.
Chaney
stated that if the requirement stays as it is, he knows of new construction
installations have the furnace next to the wall.
Staff
replied on closet installations, there is typically space to the side of the
furnace to allow for the door jamb.
Chaney
stated the back of the furnace is always against the wall with no space.
Pinnick
stated when a plan is submitted, there will have to be the clearance according
to the code section.
Staff
stated there will be some training sessions to familiarize everyone with the
new codes and that is one thing that can be mentioned.
The board
decided not to take any action on the section.
Sparkes mentioned
that section 307.2.3 in addition to requiring condensate overflow pans under
cooling coils, condensing furnaces are required to have overflow pans also.
Wyatt
stated that he knew of the pans under coils but not under the condensing
furnaces.
Staff replied
he had seen pans installed both ways, pans under only the coil and pans under
the entire furnace.
Mohr
stated he specs the whole unit to have a pan under it.
No action
was taken by the board.
Mohr
stated he would like to see a reference to ASHRAE 62 requirements for
ventilation purposes and he would like to propose an amendment, but is not sure
where it needs to be, so he will come back with a proposed amendment.
Chaney
agreed to table section 403 for a proposed amendment.
Mohr
stated he could not find the section where it prohibited positive pressure
exhaust ducts in return air plenums and that requirement has always been
present in the code.
Staff
responded he would do some research on the issue.
Mohr was
requesting more thought into allowing the small bathroom exhaust fans to vent
through a plenum. He stated he does not
see the hazard in allowing a small bathroom exhaust fan to vent through the
plenum to the outside.
Staff
stated he would look into the requirement.
Mohr recommended removing exception #1 from
section 504.6 that allows the manufacturer recommendations to determine maximum
dryer duct length for domestic clothes dryer ducts.
Chaney asked if they needed to amend both the IMC
and the IRC.
Mohr made a
motion to remove the exception from section 504.6 in the IMC and exception #1
in section 1502.6 in the IRC. Seconded by Wyatt. Pass
4-0.
Mohr
requested an explanation from ICC of section 506.3.2.5 requiring a pressure
test on grease exhaust ducts prior to operation or concealment. His questions
were is the City prepared to enforce that provision and is the provision really
necessary. He agrees a light test is
needed, but a pressure test seems to be stringent.
Wyatt
suggested submitting the question to ICC.
Mohr asked
about the change in requirement of air velocity in section 506.3.4.
The board
tabled both sections and requested staff check with ICC on both issues.
Mohr had a
question about pizza ovens on weather they required to have a type I hood or a
type II hood.
Wyatt
responded there has been discussion in the past concerning the pizza oven hoods
and explained most of the meats are pre-cooked and don’t produce large amounts
of grease. The main focus of the oven is
to melt cheese and cook the bread.
Mohr
stated if a pizza oven is required to have a Type I hood, he would like to see
pizza ovens listed under appliances required to have Type I hoods.
Pinnick
stated he had called an oven manufacturer about the hood requirement and was
told people have purchased a pizza style oven to bake bricks.
Staff
stated open type conveyor ovens would allow the vapors to escape and would
require a Type I hood; the enclosed slab type oven would require a Type II. The concern was the fire department was not
requiring fire suppression for the Type I hood system. The fire department will now require a fire
suppression system in any Type I hood.
Wyatt
stated if there is a grease issue and a Type I hood is required, there should
be fire suppression required also. If it
is determined pizza ovens do not produce the grease, a Type I should not be
required.
Mohr
stated all pizza ovens can not be placed into a warming category. The reason he brought it up is because all ovens
in general are under the Type I requirement.
If pizza ovens require Type I he said did not have a problem with that.
Wyatt
stated he will not argue pizza ovens are required to have Type I, but if it is
a Type I hood, it should have fire suppression and grease trap.
The board
agreed the code is sufficient that a Type I hood requires fire suppression.
Mohr asked
what the stand is on domestic ranges in commercial buildings such as office
break rooms or church kitchens.
Staff
replied a domestic range that is not in a food processing establishment would
not require a commercial exhaust system.
Mohr
stated there is not an exception that would allow that particular
application.
Pinnick
stated there will be some situations where it will be acceptable to have a domestic
range in a commercial building without a Type I or II hood. The main question will be to determine the
use when plans are submitted.
The board
agreed to leave the determination up to the jurisdiction.
Mohr
stated he had a problem with section 601.2 and suggested deleting exception
#3. He stated using corridors for return
air in larger occupancies had been removed from the code years ago.
Pinnick
stated if it is a rated corridor, the corridor could not be used as a plenum.
Mohr motioned to delete exception #3 in section
601.2. Seconded by Wyatt. Pass
4-0.
Mohr
suggested in section 602.2 to add humidifiers to the prohibited items in
systems with gypsum products. His
concern is with placing moisture into a system with gypsum and creating a mold
situation. A similar addition would be
required in 603.5.1.
Mohr made a motion to add “humidifiers” to the
above mentioned sections. Seconded by
Chaney. Pass 4-0.
Mohr made
a suggestion in Table 603.4 to change the minimum 30 gage for rectangular ducts
to a minimum 28 gage.
Staff
informed the board flexible air connectors are allowed in the IMC and have not
been allowed in the UMC. Air connectors
don’t pass the flame spread index rating in the UMC.
Chaney made a motion to remove any reference of
air connector from the code. Seconded by
Wyatt. Pass 4-0.
Chaney
stated there was discussion in the past about requiring better access for fire
and smoke dampers.
Staff
replied there had been discussion on drafting an amendment, but one had not
been added to the code.
Chaney
suggested amending section 607.4 requiring 18”x18” minimum access opening in
hard ceiling and minimum 144 square inches access in ductwork.
Mohr
stated on ducts smaller than 12” to require a portion of the duct to be
removable.
Staff
stated they would draft language and bring it to the next meeting.
The board
took no action.
Miscellaneous
The board
discussed reviewing 7-14 for next meeting and next meeting on July 16th.
Motion
to adjourn made by Mohr, seconded by Wyatt, passed 4-0.
Meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.