The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) recently held Technical Committee meetings toward the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited consensus development of the Uniform Solar Energy Code® (USEC) and the Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code® (USPSHTC).
The Technical Committees, which consist of a broad coalition of industry experts – installers, inspection officials, contractors, engineers and manufacturers – considered public comments to amend the USEC and USPSHTC in advance of the release of the 2012 editions. Their actions to affirm or reject these comments now go to ballots that have been mailed to each Technical Committee member for formal voting until Dec. 8. The results will appear in the Report on Comments, which will be published for review in February 2012 and opened for public comment from February until April 2012.
IAPMO develops the USEC and USPSHTC to govern the installation and inspection of solar energy and swimming pool, spa and hot tub systems, respectively, as a means of promoting the public’s health, safety and welfare. The USEC Technical Committee considered comments seeking to amend the code in such areas as:
• Clarification on safety devices and expansion tanks used in a solar energy system
• New definitions for “solar energy system components,” “combustible liquid,” “flammable liquid,” “ignition source,” “indirect waste pipe” and “solar thermal system”
• Clarification on valve requirements
• Freeze protection that correlates with other industry standards
• Identification of heat transfer medium piping
• Photovoltaic shingles
• Pumps used in a solar energy system
• Supplemental checklist for plan reviews involving solar photovoltaic systems
• Solar energy systems for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs
• Solar photovoltaic installation guidelines in accordance with the 2011 Edition of NFPA 70
The USPSHTC Technical Committee considered comments seeking to amend the code in such areas as:
• Public swimming pool and spa facilities
• Decks
• More in‐depth water chemistry provisions
• Chemical storage and handling
• Safety requirements, including means of entry and exit, life safety and rescue equipment, and lightning protection systems
Wading pools
More in‐depth design and material provisions for pools, spas and hot tubs
For questions about the USEC, contact Hugo Aguilar at (909) 472‐4111 or hugo.aguilar@iapmo.org.
For questions about the USPSHTC, contact Matt Sigler at (909) 230‐5535 or matt.sigler@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.
Last modified: November 15, 2011