User note:
About this chapter: Chapter 1 establishes the limits of applicability of the code and describes how the code is to be applied and enforced. Chapter 1 is in two parts: Part 1—Scope and Application and Part 2—Administration and Enforcement. Section 101 identifies what buildings, systems, appliances and equipment fall under its purview and references other International Codes as applicable. Standards and codes are scoped to the extent referenced.
The code is intended to be adopted as a legally enforceable document and it cannot be effective without adequate provisions for its administration and enforcement. The provisions of Chapter 1 establish the authority and duties of the code official appointed by the authority having jurisdiction and also establish the rights and privileges of the design professional, contractor and property owner.
This code shall apply to the installation of fuel-gas piping systems, fuel gas appliances, gaseous hydrogen systems and related accessories in accordance with Sections 101.2.1 through 101.2.5.
Exception: Detached one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) not more than three stories high with separate means of egress and their accessory structures shall comply with the International Residential Code.
Gaseous hydrogen systems shall be regulated by Chapter 7.
These regulations cover piping systems for natural gas with an operating pressure of 125 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) (862 kPa gauge) or less, and for LP-gas with an operating pressure of 20 psig (140 kPa gauge) or less, except as provided in Section 402.7. Coverage shall extend from the point of delivery to the outlet of the appliance shutoff valves. Piping system requirements shall include design, materials, components, fabrication, assembly, installation, testing, inspection, operation.
Requirements for gas appliances and related accessories shall include installation, combustion and ventilation air and venting and connections to piping systems.
This code shall not apply to the following:
- Portable LP-gas appliances and equipment of all types that is not connected to a fixed fuel piping system.
- Installation of farm appliances and equipment such as brooders, dehydrators, dryers and irrigation equipment.
- Raw material (feedstock) applications except for piping to special atmosphere generators.
- Oxygen-fuel gas cutting and welding systems.
- Industrial gas applications using gases such as acetylene and acetylenic compounds, hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, oxygen and nitrogen.
- Petroleum refineries, pipeline compressor or pumping stations, loading terminals, compounding plants, refinery tank farms and natural gas processing plants.
- Integrated chemical plants or portions of such plants where flammable or combustible liquids or gases are produced by, or used in, chemical reactions.
- LP-gas installations at utility gas plants.
- Liquefied natural gas (LNG) installations.
- Fuel gas piping in power and atomic energy plants.
- Proprietary items of equipment, apparatus or instruments such as gas-generating sets, compressors and calorimeters.
- LP-gas equipment for vaporization, gas mixing and gas manufacturing.
- Deleted.
- Installation of LP-gas systems for railroad switch heating.
- Installation of hydrogen gas, LP-gas and compressed natural gas (CNG) systems on vehicles.
- Except as provided in Section 401.1.1, gas piping, meters, gas pressure regulators and other appurtenances used by the serving gas supplier in the distribution of gas, other than undiluted LP-gas.
- Building design and construction, except as specified herein.
- Piping systems for mixtures of gas and air within the flammable range with an operating pressure greater than 10 psig (69 kPa gauge).
- Portable fuel cell appliances that are neither connected to a fixed piping system nor interconnected to a power grid.
The requirements for the design, installation, maintenance, alteration and inspection of mechanical systems operating with fuels other than fuel gas shall be regulated by the International Mechanical Code.
Provisions in the appendices shall not apply unless specifically adopted.
The purpose of this code is to establish minimum standards to provide a reasonable level of safety, health, property protection and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, installation, quality of materials, location, operation and maintenance or use of fuel gas systems.
If a section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this code is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this code.
Where there is a conflict between a general requirement and a specific requirement, the specific requirement shall govern. Where, in a specific case, different sections of this code specify different materials, methods of construction or other requirements, the most restrictive shall govern.
Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, a provision in this code shall not require the removal, alteration or abandonment of, nor prevent the continued utilization and maintenance of, existing installations lawfully in existence at the time of the adoption of this code.
Additions, alterations, renovations or repairs related to building or structural issues shall be regulated by the International Existing Building Code.
Installations, both existing and new, and parts thereof shall be maintained in proper operating condition in accordance with the original design and in a safe condition. Devices or safeguards that are required by this code shall be maintained in compliance with the edition of the code under which they were installed. The owner or the owner's authorized agent shall be responsible for maintenance of installations. To determine compliance with this provision, the code official shall have the authority to require an installation to be reinspected.
Additions, alterations, renovations or repairs to installations shall conform to that required for new installations without requiring the existing installation to comply with all of the requirements of this code. Additions, alterations or repairs shall not cause an existing installation to become unsafe, hazardous or overloaded.
Minor additions, alterations, renovations and repairs to existing installations shall meet the provisions for new construction, unless such work is done in the same manner and arrangement as was in the existing system, is not hazardous and is approved.
It shall be unlawful to make a change in the occupancy of a structure that will subject the structure to the special provisions of this code applicable to the new occupancy without approval. The code official shall certify that such structure meets the intent of the provisions of law governing building construction for the proposed new occupancy and that such change of occupancy does not result in any hazard to the public health, safety or welfare.
The provisions of this code relating to the construction, alteration, repair, enlargement, restoration, relocation or moving of buildings or structures shall not be mandatory for existing buildings or structures identified and classified by the state or local jurisdiction as historic buildings where such buildings or structures are judged by the code official to be safe and in the public interest of health, safety and welfare regarding any proposed construction, alteration, repair, enlargement, restoration, relocation or moving of buildings.
Except as determined by Section 102.2, installations that are a part of buildings or structures moved into or within the jurisdiction shall comply with the provisions of this code for new installations.
Where conflicts occur between the provisions of this code and the referenced standards, the provisions of this code shall apply.
Where the extent of the reference to a referenced code or standard includes subject matter that is within the scope of this code, the provisions of this code, as applicable, shall take precedence over the provisions in the referenced code or standard.
Requirements necessary for the strength, stability or proper operation of an existing or proposed installation, or for the public safety, health and general welfare, not specifically covered by this code, shall be determined by the code official.
The provisions of this code shall not be deemed to nullify any provisions of local, state or federal law.
Reference to chapter section numbers, or to provisions not specifically identified by number, shall be construed to refer to such chapter, section or provision of this code.
Where there are practical difficulties involved in carrying out the provisions of this code, the code official shall have the authority to grant modifications for individual cases, upon application of the owner or owner's authorized agent, provided that the code official shall first find that special individual reason makes the strict letter of this code impractical and that such modification is in compliance with the intent and purpose of this code and does not lessen health, life and fire safety requirements. The details of action granting modifications shall be recorded and entered in the files of the Department of Inspection.
The provisions of this code are not intended to prevent the installation of any material or to prohibit any design or method of construction not specifically prescribed by this code, provided that any such alternative has been approved. An alternative material, design or method of construction shall be approved where the code official finds that the proposed design is satisfactory and complies with the intent of the provisions of this code, and that the material, method or work offered is, for the purpose intended, not less than the equivalent of that prescribed in this code in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety. Where the alternative material, design or method of construction is not approved, the code official shall respond in writing, stating the reasons why the alternative was not approved.
Supporting data, where necessary to assist in the approval of materials or assemblies not specifically provided for in this code, shall consist of valid research reports from approved sources.
Where there is insufficient evidence of compliance with the provisions of this code or evidence that a material or method does not conform to the requirements of this code, or in order to substantiate claims for alternative materials or methods, the code official shall have the authority to require tests as evidence of compliance to be made at no expense to the jurisdiction.
Test methods shall be as specified in this code or by other recognized test standards. In the absence of recognized and accepted test methods, the code official shall approve the testing procedures.
Tests shall be performed by an approved agency.
Reports of tests shall be retained by the code official for the period required for retention of public records.
The use of used materials that meet the requirements of this code for new materials is permitted. Used appliances, equipment and devices shall not be reused unless such elements have been reconditioned, tested and placed in good and proper working condition, and approved by the code official.
Materials, equipment and devices approved by the code official shall be constructed and installed in accordance with such approval.
The code official is authorized to conduct such inspections as are deemed necessary to determine compliance with the provisions of this code. Construction or work for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the code official, and such construction or work shall remain visible and able to be accessed for inspection purposes until approved. Approval as a result of an inspection shall not be construed to be an approval of a violation of the provisions of this code or of other ordinances of the jurisdiction. Inspections presuming to give authority to violate or cancel the provisions of this code or of other ordinances of the jurisdiction shall not be valid.
The code official, on notification from the permit holder or the permit holder's agent, shall make the following inspections and other such inspections as necessary, and shall either release that portion of the construction or notify the permit holder or the permit holder's agent of violations that are required to be corrected. The holder of the permit shall be responsible for scheduling such inspections.
- Underground inspection shall be made after trenches or ditches are excavated and bedded, piping is installed and before backfill is put in place. Where excavated soil contains rocks, broken concrete, frozen chunks and other rubble that would damage or break the piping or cause corrosive action, clean backfill shall be on the job site.
- Rough-in inspection shall be made after the roof, framing, fireblocking and bracing are in place and components to be concealed are complete, and prior to the installation of wall or ceiling membranes.
- Final inspection shall be made upon completion of the installation.
The requirements of this section shall not be considered to prohibit the operation of any heating appliance installed to replace an existing heating appliance serving an occupied portion of a structure in the event a request for inspection of such heating appliance has been filed with the department not more than 48 hours after replacement work is completed, and before any portion of such appliance is concealed by any permanent portion of the structure.
In addition to the inspections specified in Section 107.2, the code official is authorized to make or require other inspections of any construction work to ascertain compliance with the provisions of this code and other laws that are enforced.
It shall be the duty of the holder of the permit or his or her duly authorized agent to notify the code official when work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the permit holder to provide access to and means for inspection of such work that is required by this code.
Work shall not be done beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the code official. The code official, upon notification, shall make the requested inspections and shall either indicate the portion of the construction that is satisfactory as completed, or notify the permit holder or his or her agent wherein the same fails to comply with this code. Any portions that do not comply shall be corrected and such portion shall not be covered or concealed until authorized by the code official.
The code official is authorized to accept reports of approved agencies, provided that such agencies satisfy the requirements as to qualifications and reliability.
Prior to the approval of a prefabricated construction assembly having concealed work and the issuance of a permit, the code official shall require the submittal of an evaluation report on each prefabricated construction assembly, indicating the complete details of the installation, including a description of the system and its components, the basis on which the system is being evaluated, test results and similar information and other data as necessary for the code official to determine conformance to this code.
The code official shall designate the evaluation service of an approved agency as the evaluation agency, and review such agency's evaluation report for adequacy and conformance to this code.
Except where ready access is provided to installations, appliances, service equipment and accessories for complete inspection at the site without disassembly or dismantling, the code official shall conduct the in-plant inspections as frequently as necessary to ensure conformance to the approved evaluation report or shall designate an independent, approved inspection agency to conduct such inspections. The inspection agency shall furnish the code official with the follow-up inspection manual and a report of inspections upon request, and the installation shall have an identifying label permanently affixed to the system indicating that factory inspections have been performed.
Required test and inspection records shall be available to the code official at all times during the fabrication of the installation and the erection of the building; or such records as the code official designates shall be filed.
Installations shall be tested as required in this code and in accordance with Sections 107.3.1 through 107.3.3. Tests shall be made by the permit holder and observed by the code official.
New installations and parts of existing installations, which have been altered, extended, renovated or repaired, shall be tested as prescribed herein to disclose leaks and defects.
Apparatus, instruments, material and labor required for testing an installation or part thereof shall be furnished by the permit holder.
Where any work or installation does not pass an initial test or inspection, the necessary corrections shall be made so as to achieve com pliance with this code. The work or installation shall then be resubmitted to the code official for inspection and testing.
After the prescribed tests and inspections indicate that the work complies in all respects with this code, a notice of approval shall be issued by the code official.
The code official is authorized to, in writing, suspend or revoke a notice of approval issued under the provisions of this code wherever the notice is issued in error, or on the basis of incorrect information supplied or where it is determined that the building or structure, premise, or portion thereof is in violation of any ordinance or regulation or any of the provisions of this code.
The code official shall have the authority to allow the temporary connection of an installation to the sources of energy for the purpose of testing the installation or for use under a temporary certificate of occupancy.
A person shall not make connections from a utility, source of energy, fuel or power to any building or system that is regulated by this code for which a permit is required until authorized by the code official.