Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2019

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systems. This will also involve education for consumers. • It is unknown what types of instrumentation, special tools, sensors, etc., will be required to safely work with flammable refrigerants such as A2L in residential applications. A2L sensors are still being acquired and tested by the OEMs. • These concerns all have undefined varying impacts on occupant health and safety, worker health and safety, as well as on the ultimate costs to ensure a safe infrastructure. ACCA will continue to monitor this subject as it proceeds through the final stages of the IAPMO code change cycle. Additionally, the Technical Committee added ACCA’s Manual Zr, zoned duct systems; Manual J, load calculations; and Manual S, residential equipment selection, to the mandatory requirements of the UMC, Universal Mechanical Code.

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Universal Mechanical Code Technical Committee Rejects Flammables for Direct Residential Comfort Systems ACCA Codes Consultant, David Bixby, recently represented ACCA at the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) Technical Committee (TC) meeting in Denver. The meeting discussed public comments on proposals to revise the 2018 UMC (for the future 2021 edition of UMC). One issue was a proposal to allow A2L (flammable) refrigerants in direct residential systems. ACCA along with several OEM’s urged the UMC technical committee to reject the use of A2L in direct residential comfort applications. The Technical Committee agreed with ACCA and the proposal was rejected. The concerns that ACCA and others expressed are: • Industry standards covering A2L for use in residential applications are still in flux and are not fully completed or published yet. • Until such standards are finalized and published, the industry cannot develop training programs to educate contractors in the handling, installation and maintenance of A2L equipment used in residential HVAC