Ontario, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2018) – The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO^®) Standards Council has issued the 2018 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC^®) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC^®), each designated as American National Standards for the sixth time.

Developed by IAPMO using a three-year consensus process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the new codebooks will be available for purchase in both hardcopy and digital format through IAPMO in mid-January.

IAPMO was granted Audited Designator Status by ANSI in September 2011, enabling the 91-year-old code development body to self-designate the UPC and UMC as American National Standards (ANS) and forgo approval by the ANSI Board of Standards Review. This marks the second time these codes have been designated in this manner.

ANSI accreditation signifies that the procedures used by standards setting organizations such as IAPMO meet the Institute’s requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. This process brings together volunteers representing a variety of viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on plumbing and mechanical practices. The UPC and UMC are the only plumbing and mechanical codes of practice to hold the designation of American National Standards.

Significant changes to the UPC include:

• New sound transmission provisions for plumbing piping systems (Chapter 3)
• New product standards for such plumbing fixtures as wall hung fixtures, waste fittings, lavatories, showers, bathtubs and whirlpool bathtubs, flushometer valves, sinks, and eyewash stations; and signage for single use toilet facilities (Chapter 4)
• New provisions for connector capacities for elbows in connectors, minimum capacity for storage water heaters, and clearance to combustible materials (Chapter 5)
• New backflow protection provisions for chemical dispensers; new material provisions for pipes, tubes, fittings and joint methods for water supply and distribution; and new pressure testing for the hot and cold-water supply system (Chapter 6)
• New materials requirements for drain, waste, vent pipe, and fittings (Chapter 7)
• New provisions for trap seal primers for potable water supply (Chapter 10)
• New provisions for engineered storm drainage systems (Chapter 11)
• New requirements for piping material, overpressure protection, and gas piping installation for fuel gas piping systems (Chapter 12)
• New requirements for medical gas and vacuum systems based on the latest edition of NFPA 99 (Chapter 13)
• New peak water demand method and calculator for estimating demand loads for water supply of single- and multi-family dwellings with water conserving plumbing fixtures, fixture fittings, and appliances (Appendix M)

Significant changes to the UMC include:

• New clearance requirements for solid-fuel burning appliances, ducts serving Type I hood exhaust system, and product conveying ducts (Chapter 3)
• New provisions for Type I and Type II exhaust systems and product conveying ducts.
• New sizing provisions for duct systems; duct leakage testing requirements; installations and closure requirements for flexible air ducts; and new provisions for air dispersions systems (Chapter 6)
• New requirements for pressure regulators and electric furnaces (Chapter 9)
• New refrigerant system requirements, such as A2L and B2L low flammability refrigerants; machinery room requirements such as access, openings, detectors, and ventilation systems; and new pressure limiting-device provisions for compressors (Chapter 11)
• New pressure testing requirements for piping and components, expansion tanks, and materials for hydronic systems (Chapter 12)
• New requirements for piping material, overpressure protection, and gas piping installation for fuel gas piping systems (Chapter 13)

Introduced in Los Angeles in 1928 and formally published as the Uniform Plumbing Code in 1945, the UPC is developed to govern the installation and inspection of plumbing systems as a means of promoting the public’s health, safety and welfare. Later published by IAPMO in 1967, the UMC provides the same governance for mechanical (HVAC, combustion, exhaust, refrigeration) systems. Developed and subsequently republished at the conclusion of each three-year code cycle, the UPC and UMC are designed to provide consumers with safe plumbing, heating and mechanical systems while, at the same time, allowing latitude for innovation and new technologies.

IAPMO urges its members and other interested parties to get involved in the code development process to ensure effectiveness in preserving the public health, safety, and welfare through strict governance of the Uniform Codes. Installers, plumbing and mechanical officials, the construction industry, engineers, and manufacturers all benefit from a cooperative effort in developing codes. For more information, direct your browser to IAPMO’s website, www.iapmo.org.

Sponsor of the Uniform Codes, IAPMO – The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials – works in concert with government and industry for safe, sanitary plumbing and mechanical systems. Learn more about IAPMO at www.iapmo.org.