Every change to the 2015 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas codes has been submitted. That is hard to believe since it is only 2012. By the end of October, we will know what the 2015 codes will look like, yet they won’t be published until 2014. It raises the question of whether the code is out of date before it is published.
The single-cycle concept adopted by ICC (also used by IAPMO) hasn’t resulted in any fewer code changes. The number of code changes to these three codes is about the same as the last cycle. There are more than 200 changes each to the plumbing code and mechanical code, and the normal 50 or so to the fuel gas code.
These changes will first be reviewed at the code-change hearing in Dallas during the ICC meeting, which runs from April 28 through May 6. Changes to the International Building Code also will be heard during the same meeting. Because of the number of changes to the building code, ICC has indicated that the hearing may be extended until May 7 or 8.
This is the first cycle where there is a Code Action Committee for plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas. The CAC is designed to be a sounding board for hot issues in the three codes. Rather than a formal hearing process, the CAC meets and discusses the issues in depth. Any interested party can participate in the meeting. The discussions result in code changes submitted by the CAC. These changes must still be vetted by the Code Change Committee at the hearing.
Many of the CAC issues are clarifications to the code. When the code is misinterpreted, the CAC attempts to straighten out the language. It also discusses hot issues in the industry that may require changes to the code.