Laserfiche WebLink
N.v ee M~~i <br /> r~'~~ ~ <br /> ' Bruce C. McClure <br /> <br /> Harry Kim ~ Director <br /> Mayor <br /> ~,r` Oi~M~~' <br /> Jiro A. Sumada <br /> Deputy Director <br /> (~nixn#~r n£ ~~c~uttt`i <br /> DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br /> Aupuni Center <br /> 101 Pauahi Street, Sui[e 7 ~ Hilo, Hawaii 9672D-4224 <br /> (808)961-8321 Fax (808)961-8630 <br /> www.co.hawaii.hi.us <br /> May 3, 2007 <br /> r, <br /> r-a <br /> G <br /> Honorable Pete Hoffmann, Council Chair ' ~ <br /> and Members of the Hawaii County Council ~ <br /> Hawaii County Council _ s <br /> 333 Kilauea Avenue <br /> Ben Franklin Building, 2nd Floor <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 ~ <br /> ~S <br /> Subject: Bill 23, Relating to Plumbing Code that Relates to Securing Water Heaters <br /> The Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and the International Association of Plumbers and <br /> Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) is the governing body of the UPC code. They write the <br /> plumbing code and approve materials for the plumbing industry, which we follow. <br /> UPC has approved wall straps for water heaters installation. There are no floor straps <br /> currently approved by the UPC. Products made for water heaters can't be modified. <br /> When the plumbers checked if a strap was available on the market to strap the water <br /> heater to the floor, they were confronted by the fact, none exist. <br /> In section 510.7 "when a water heater is located in an attic or furred space, a water tight <br /> pan of corrosive resistant material shall be installed beneath the water heater with a <br /> minimum drain." Under the proposed language, strapped to the floor or to a wall, the <br /> plumbers are faced with the question, how do we seal the pan and strap the water <br /> heater to the floor? <br /> In Section 510.1- The Fire Code as well as the UPC says "for the installation of water <br /> heaters, either electric or gas, it must be raised 18" above the floor level." This is <br /> especially true for gas water heaters that have a pilot light. <br /> In Section 510.5, strapping water heaters vertically and horizontally at the upper <br /> one-third and lower one-third of its vertical dimensions of water heaters in Seismic <br /> Zones 3 & 4, which includes Hawaii County and California, is part of the existing code. <br /> The theory is that strapping resists horizontal displacement due to earthquake ~S, 3 <br /> Comm. No. <br /> movement. Ref. 7o: C~ <br /> County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Ref. Do}e MAY <br /> O_ 4 ZQOf _t <br /> <br />