ASA recently attended the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Technical Membership Meeting as part of IAPMO’s annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Membership Technical Committee meeting provides an opportunity for the IAPMO membership to consider positions taken by the IAPMO Technical Committees responsible for approving changes to the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) to be published in 2024.  

ASA Director of Codes and Standards Jim Kendzel presented two motions to the floor and successfully achieved a majority membership vote to overturn positions taken by the Technical Committee.

UPC, Metal and Plastic Insert Fittings: The UPC Technical Committee rejected the proposed inclusion of ASTM product standards covering metal and plastic insert fittings with factory assembled stainless steel press sleeve for SDR9 cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing and SDR9 polyethylene of raised temperature (PE-RT) tubing.  

ASA submitted a motion at the Technical Membership Meeting to reverse the Technical Committee decision based on ASA’s support of the use of industry consensus standards and allowing access of products complying with those standards into the marketplace. ASA’s motion was approved by the membership.

UMC, Refrigeration Piping Joints and Seams: ASA presented a motion to reject the UMC Technical Committee’s proposed change to the UMC that if adopted would only allow brazed joints in concealed locations.  

This requirement was opposed by ASA due to the broad definition of “concealed,” and the prohibition of using press-connect and other acceptable joining methods.  

In addition, if the proposal was adopted, it would eliminate the use of acceptable refrigerant tubing materials that cannot be joined using by brazing, such as aluminum. The membership voted in support of the ASA motion.

In addition, ASA supported AHRI and other industry associations in support of a motion the membership voted to accept that further aligns the UMC with the 2019 edition of ASHRAE 15, including several key addenda.

This update will allow low-GWP equipment for high-probability comfort cooling systems and update machinery room requirements for A2Ls to align with ASHRAE 15-2019. In addition, proposals to ban mechanical fittings for use with A2L refrigerants were rejected by the membership.

The next step in IAPMO process is for the membership votes to go back to the technical committees to determine if the committees choose to change the positions take based on the outcome of the Membership Technical Committee.

ICC IN LOUISVILLE

ASA also attended the recent International Code Council (ICC) meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, in support of an industry position related to the product standard UL 60335-3-40.

The results of the meeting were successful, and the UL standard was updated to the fourth edition (2022) as part of the International Mechanical Code (IMC). The adoption of the fourth edition of the UL standard ensures that the IMC will incorporate, by reference, important requirements related to the safe use and detection of A2L refrigerants.

The next step in in the ICC process is for the governmental officials to conduct an online voting process on the positions taken at the hearings.