The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Standards Council has issued the 2012 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code® (UMC), each designated as American National Standards for the fourth 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 February 2012.
IAPMO was granted Audited Designator Status by ANSI in September, enabling the 85‐year‐old code development body to designate the UPC and UMC as American National Standards without receiving prior approval by the ANSI Board of Standards Review. The 2003, 2006 and 2009 editions of each code were designated in the previous 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 be named American National Standards.
Significant changes to the UPC include:
• New alternate water sources for nonpotable applications and nonpotable rainwater catchment systems (Chapters 16, 17) based upon IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement
• New Appendix L (sustainable practices)
• New minimum plumbing facilities table (Chapter 4)
• Water supply and drainage joint connection requirements (Chapters 6, 7)
Significant changes to the UMC include:
• New requirements for piping, tubing, balancing, louvers, protection of piping, mechanical systems and ductwork (Chapter 3)
• New provisions for Evaporative Cooling Systems (Chapter 9)
• Refrigeration port protection requirement (Chapter 11)
• New requirements for piping, tubing and fittings used in Hydronic Systems (Chapter 12)
• Added Appendices A (Residential Plan Examiner Review Form for HVAC System Design), E (Green Mechanical Code Supplement), F (Examples of Venting System Sizing) and G (Example for the Calculation of Outdoor Air Rate)
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.
The public at large is encouraged and invited to participate in IAPMO’s open consensus code development process. A code development timeline and other relevant information are available at IAPMO’s Website, www.iapmo.org.
IAPMO
IAPMO develops and publishes the Uniform Plumbing Code®, the most widely recognized code of practice used by the plumbing industry worldwide; Uniform Mechanical Code®; Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code®; and Uniform Solar Energy, Hydronics and Geothermal Code™ — the only plumbing, mechanical, solar energy and swimming pool codes designated by ANSI as American National Standards — and the Water Efficiency Standard (WE-Stand)™. IAPMO works with government, contractors, labor force, and manufacturers to produce product standards, technical manuals, personnel certification/educational programs and additional resources in order to meet the ever-evolving demands of the industry in protecting public health and safety.
Last modified: December 30, 2022