ORD 776 12/12/2006 THE INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE ORDINANCE NO. 7 7 6
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CIBOLO ADOPTING THE 2006 EDITION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE, REGULATING AND
GOVERNING THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, QUALITY OF MATERIALS,
ERECTION, INSTALLATION, ALTERATION, REPAIR, LOCATION,
RELOCATION, REPLACEMENT, ADDITION TO, USE OR MAINTENANCE
OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS IN THE CITY OF CIBOLO; PROVIDING FOR
PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE;PROVIDING FOR
THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AND COLLECTION OF FEES THEREFOR;
REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 546 OF THE CITY OF CIBOLO AND THAT
THIS ORDINANCE IS CUMULATIVE OF ALL OTHER ORDINANCES OF THE
CITY NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE.
WHEREAS,the City of Cibolo is a Home Rule Municipality located in Guadalupe County, Texas, created
in accordance with provisions of the Texas Local Government Code and operating pursuant to its adopted
City Charter and all applicable laws and enabling legislation of the State of Texas;and
WHEREAS,the City of Cibolo is governed by a Home Rule Charter that was approved by the Citizens of
Cibolo in a duly called election held on September 11,2004;and
WHEREAS, Chapter 54.001 of the Texas Local Government Code provides the general authority for the
City of Cibolo to enforce each rule, ordinance, or police regulation of the City of Cibolo and to punish a
violation of a rule, ordinance, or police regulation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Cibolo, Texas seeks to regulate and govern the design, construction, quality of
materials, erection, installation, alteration, repair, location, relocation, replacement, addition to, use or
maintenance of mechanical systems in the in the occupancy of buildings and premises in the City of
Cibolo.
The City Council of the City of Cibolo does ordain as follows:
Section 1. That a certain document, three (3) copies of which are on file in the office of the Building
Official of Cibolo, being marked and designated as the International Mechanical Code, 2006 edition,
including Appendix Chapters A, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted
as the Mechanical Code of the City of Cibolo, in the State of Texas regulating and governing the design,
construction, quality of materials, erection, installation, alteration, repair, location, relocation,
replacement, addition to, use or maintenance of mechanical systems as herein provided;providing for the
issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions,
penalties, conditions and terms of said Mechanical Code on file in the office of the Building Official of
the City of Cibolo are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this
ordinance, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any,prescribed in Section 2, 3, and 4 of
this ordinance.
Section 2. That the following sections and/or sub-sections are hereby revised to read as follows:
Section 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Mechanical Code of Cibolo,
hereinafter referred to as"this code".
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Section 106.5.1 Work commencing before permit issuance. Any person who commences work
on a mechanical system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to 100 percent of
the usual permit fee in addition to the required permit fees.
Section 106.5.2 Fee schedule. The fees for mechanical work shall be as indicated in the
following schedule.
Fee Schedule: See City Fee Schedule.
Section 106.5.3 Fee refunds. The code official shall authorize the refunding of fees as follows.
1. The full amount of any fee paid hereunder which was erroneously paid or collected.
2. Not more than fifty (50%) percent of the permit fee paid when no work has been done
under a permit issued in accordance with this code.
3. Not more than fifty (50%) percent of the plan review fee paid when an application for a
permit for which a plan review fee has been paid is withdrawn or canceled before any plan
review effort has been expended.
The code official shall not authorize the refunding of any fee paid, except upon written
application filed by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment.
Section 108.4 Violation penalties. Persons who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail
to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter or repair
mechanical work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the code
official, or of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code, shall be guilty of a
Class C Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 dollars. Each day that a
violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense.
Section 108.5 Stop work orders. Upon notice from the code official that mechanical work is
being done contrary to the provisions of this code or in a dangerous or unsafe manner, such work
shall immediately cease. Such notice shall be in writing and shall be given to the owner of the
property, or to the owner's agent, or to the person doing the work. The notice shall state the
conditions under which work is authorized to resume. Where an emergency exists, the code
official shall not be required to give a written notice prior to stopping the work. Any person who
shall continue any work on the system after having been served with a stop work order, except
such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition, shall be
liable for a fine of not less than$100.00 dollars or more than$500.00 dollars.
Section 109.2 Membership of board. The City Council may act as the board of appeals, or the
board of appeals shall consist of five members appointed by the chief appointing authority as
follows: one for five years; one for four years; one for three years; one for two years; and one for
one year. Thereafter, each new member shall serve for five years or until a successor has been
appointed.
Section 301.14 Rodentproofmg. Buildings or structures and the walls enclosing habitable or
occupiable rooms and spaces in which persons live, sleep or work, including interior and exterior
walls, closets, utility rooms, or in which feed, food or foodstuffs are stored, prepared, processed,
served or sold, shall be constructed to protect against rodents in accordance with the International
Building Code.
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Section 306.3 Appliances in attics. Attics containing appliances requiring access shall be
provided with an opening and unobstructed passageway large enough to allow removal of the
largest appliance. The passageway shall not be less than 30 inches (762 mm) high and 22 inches
(559 mm)wide and not more than 20 feet (6096 mm) in length measured along the centerline of
the passageway from the opening to the appliance. The passageway shall have continuous solid
flooring not less than 24 inches(610 mm)wide and not less than 3/4-inch(19 mm)thick. A level
service space not less than 30 inches (762 mm) deep and 30 inches (762 mm) wide and not less
than 3/4-inch (19 mm) thick shall be present at the front or service side of the appliance as
measured from the unit or the drain pan, whichever extends the farthest. The clear access
opening dimensions shall be a minimum of 20 inches by 30 inches(508 mm by 762 mm), where
such dimensions are large enough to allow removal of the largest appliance.
Exceptions:
1. The passageway is not required where the level service space is present when the access
is open and the appliance is capable of being serviced and removed through the required
opening.
2. Where the passageway is unobstructed and not less than 6 feet (1829 mm) high and 22
inches (559 mm) wide for its entire length, the passageway shall be not greater than 40
feet(12 192 mm)in length.
Section 306.3.1 Electrical requirements. A luminaire controlled by a switch located at the
required passageway opening and a receptacle outlet shall be provided at or near the appliance
location, however not greater than 20 feet (6096 mm) in accordance with the ICC Electrical
Code.
Section 307.2.2 Drain pipe materials and sizes. Components of the condensate disposal system
shall be cast iron, galvanized steel, copper, cross-linked polyethylene, polybutylene,
polyethylene, ABS, CPVC or PVC pipe or tubing. All components shall be selected for the
pressure and temperature rating of the installation. Condensate waste and drain line size shall be
not less than 3/4-inch (19 mm) internal diameter and shall not decrease in size from the drain pan
connection to the place of condensate disposal. Where the drain pipes from more than one unit
are manifolded together for condensate drainage, the pipe or tubing shall be sized in accordance
with an approved method. All horizontal and vertical sections of drain piping shall be insulated.
All horizontal sections of drain piping shall be installed in uniform alignment at a uniform slope.
Section 307.2.3 Auxiliary and secondary drain systems. In addition to the requirements of
Section 307.2.1, a secondary drain or auxiliary drain pan shall be required for each cooling or
evaporator coil or fuel-fired appliance that produces condensate, where damage to any building
components will occur as a result of overflow from the equipment drain pan or stoppage in the
condensate drain piping. All auxiliary drain pans shall be elevated above the floor or deck so as
to provide air flow under the auxiliary drain pan. The code official requires separate primary and
secondary drain line to be installed. One of the following methods shall be used:
1. An auxiliary drain pan with a separate drain shall be provided under the coils on which
condensation will occur. The auxiliary pan drain shall discharge to a conspicuous point of
disposal to alert occupants in the event of a stoppage of the primary drain. The pan shall
have a minimum depth of 1.5 inches (38 mm), shall not be less than 3 inches (76 mm)
larger than the unit or the coil dimensions in width and length and shall be constructed of
corrosion-resistant material. Metallic pans shall have a minimum thickness of not less than
0.0276-inch (0.7 mm) galvanized sheet metal. Nonmetallic pans shall have a minimum
thickness of not less than 0.0625 inch(1.6 mm).
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2. A separate overflow drain line shall be connected to the drain pan provided with the
equipment. Such overflow drain shall discharge to a conspicuous point of disposal to alert
occupants in the event of a stoppage of the primary drain. The overflow drain line shall
connect to the drain pan at a higher level than the primary drain connection.
3. Prior approval by the code official is required for use of a water level detection device. An
auxiliary drain pan without a separate drain line shall be provided under the coils on which
condensate will occur. Such pan shall be equipped with a water-level detection device
conforming to UL 508 that will shut off the equipment served prior to overflow of the pan.
The auxiliary drain pan shall be constructed in accordance with Item 1 of this section.
4. Prior approval by the code official is required for use of a water level detection device. A
water level detection device conforming to UL 508 shall be provided that will shut off the
equipment served in the event that the primary drain is blocked. The device shall be
installed in the primary drain line, the overflow drain line, or in the equipment-supplied
drain pan, located at a point higher than the primary drain line connection and below the
overflow rim of such pan.
Exception: Fuel-fired appliances that automatically shut down operation in the event of a
stoppage in the condensate drainage system.
Section 501.2 Exhaust discharge. The air removed by every mechanical exhaust system shall be
discharged outdoors at a point where it will not cause a nuisance and not less than the distances
specified in Section 501.2.1. The air shall be discharged to a location from which it cannot again
be readily drawn in by a ventilating system. Air shall not be exhausted into an attic, soffit or
crawl space.
Exceptions:
1. Whole-house ventilation-type attic fans shall be permitted to discharge into the attic
space of dwelling units having private attics.
2. Commercial cooking recirculating systems.
Section 505.1 Domestic systems. Where domestic range hoods and domestic appliances
equipped with downdraft exhaust are located within dwelling units, such hoods and appliances
shall discharge to the outdoors through sheet metal ducts constructed of galvanized steel, stainless
steel, aluminum or copper. Such ducts shall have smooth inner walls and shall be air tight and
equipped with a backdraft damper. Exhaust ducts shall not be trapped.
Exceptions:
1. Where installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and where
mechanical or natural ventilation is otherwise provided in accordance with Chapter 4,
listed and labeled ductless range hoods shall not be required to discharge to the outdoors.
2. Ducts for domestic kitchen cooking appliances equipped with downdraft exhaust systems
shall be permitted to be constructed of Schedule 40 PVC pipe provided that the
installation complies with all of the following:
2.1. The duct shall be installed under a concrete slab poured on grade.
2.2. The underfloor trench in which the duct is installed shall be completely backfilled
with sand or fine gravel.
2.3. The PVC duct shall extend not greater than 1 inch (25 mm) above the indoor
concrete floor surface.
2.4. The PVC duct shall extend not greater than 1 inch(25 mm) above grade outside of
the building. Termination extending within 6 inches of finished grade shall have a
permanent solid bather installed under the vent opening at ground level a
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