Zone 4
R-38 Ceilings
U-0.35 Windows, Doors
R-13 Walls
R-19 Floors
R-10 Foundations
IRC-N1103.8.i
• Pool Heaters: All pool heaters shall be
equipped with an readily-accessible on-off
switch to allow shutting off the heaters w/o
adjusting the thermostat setting. Pool heaters
fired by natural gas/LPG shall not have
continuously burning pilot lights. Time
switches that can automatically turn on/off
heaters and pumps to a pre-set schedule shall
be installed on swimming pool heaters/pumps.
IRC-N1103.8.3
• Pool Covers……Heated pools shall be equipped
with a vapor retardant pool cover on or at the
water surface. Pools heated to more than 90F
shall have a pool cover with a minimum
insulation of R-13.
IECC-403-8
Snow Melt System Controls
• Snow & ice melting systems, shall include
automatic controls capable of shutting off the
system when the pavement temperature is
above 50F and no precipitation is falling and
an automatic or manual control that will allow
shutoff when the outdoor temperature is
above 40F.
IECC-401.3
• Certificate……A permanent certificate shall be
posted on the electrical panel. Certificate to
be completed by the builder or design
professional. It shall list the R-values of
insulation(ceiling/roof,walls, foundation/slab,
basement wall, crawlspace wall and/or floor)
and ducts outside conditioned space. U-value
and SHGC of fenestration. Types and
efficiencies of HVAC & DHW heating
equipment.
IRC-N1104
IECC-404.1
• Lighting Equipment……A minimum of 50% of
the lamps in permanently installed lighting
fixtures shall be high-efficiency lamps.
• Compact fluorescents qualify, standard
incandescent bulbs do not.
IRC-N1102.4.5
• Recessed lighting installed in the building
thermal envelope shall be sealed to limit air
leakage between conditioned and
unconditioned space. All recessed lights shall
be IC-rated and labeled as meeting ASTM
E238. They must be installed with a gasket or
caulk between the housing and the interior
wall or ceiling covering.
IRC-1103.1.1
IECC-403.1.1
• Where the primary heating system is a forced air
furnace, one programmable thermostat per
building unit shall be capable of controlling the
heating/cooling system on a daily schedule to
maintain different temperature set points at
different times of the day.
• The thermostat shall have the capacity to operate
the system to maintain temperatures down to 55F
& up to 85F. It should be programmed w/ a
heating set point no greater than 70F and cooling
no lower than 78F.
IRC-N1103.1.2/IECC-403.1.2
Heat Pump Supplementary Heat
• Heat pumps having supplementary electricresistance heat shall have controls that, except
during defrost, prevent supplemental heat
operation when the heat pump compressor
can meet the heating load.
IRC-N1102-4/IECC-402.4.1
Building Thermal Envelope
• The building thermal envelope shall be durably
sealed to limit infiltration. The sealing
methods between dissimilar materials shall
allow for different expansion and contraction.
The following shall be caulked, gasketed,
weatherstripped or otherwise sealed with an
air barrier material, suitable film or solid
material.
IRC-N1104.4.2/IECC-402.4.2.2
• Building envelope air tightness and insulation
installation shall be demonstrated to comply with one
of the following two options:
• N1102.4.2.1……Tested air leakage is less than (7) ACH
when tested with a blower door at 50 pascals.
• N1102.4.4.1……Visual Inspection option. The items
listed in Table N1102.4.2, applicable to method of
construction, are field verified. Where required by code
official, an approved party independent from
insulation installer shall inspect the air barrier and
insulation.
Visual Inspection Option
• All joints, seams and penetrations.
• Site built windows, doors & skylights.
• Openings between window and door assemblies
and their jambs and framing.
• All utility penetrations.
• Dropped ceiling or chases adjacent to the thermal
envelope.
• Kneewalls.
• Walls and ceiling separating garage from
conditioned space
•
•
•
•
•
Behind tubs and showers on exterior walls.
Common walls between dwelling units.
Attic access openings.
Rim& band joist junction.
Other sources of infiltration.
Duct Leakage Test
Required: duct leakage to outside shall be less than or equal
to 8 cfm per 100 ft2 of CFA or a total leakage less
than or equal to 12 cfm per 100 ft2 CFA
Testing @ pressure
differential of 25 Pa
across the entire system
including the air handler
enclosure
17
IRC- N1103.2.2/IECC-403.2.2
• Ducts, air handlers, filter boxes and building cavities
used as ducts shall be sealed. Joints and seams shall
comply wit Section M1601.4. Duct tightness shall be
verified by either of the following:
• 1. Post construction test: Leakage to outside shall be
less than or equal to 8 cfm per 100 ft2 of CFA or a total
leakage less than or equal to 12 cfm per 100 ft2 of CFA
when tested at 25 pascals across the entire system,
including the air handler enclosure. Dust test not
required if the air handler/ducts are located in
conditioned space.
ROUGH-IN TEST
• Total leakage shall be less than or equal to six
(6) cfm per 100 ft2 of CFA when tested at a
pressure differential of 25 pascals across the
roughed in system, including the air handler
enclosure. If the air handler is not installed at
the time of the test, total leakage shall be less
than or equal to (4) cfm per 100 ft2 of CFA.
IRC-M1401-3
• Sizing……HVAC equipment shall be sized in
accordance wl/ ACCA manual S based on
building loads calculated in accordance with
ACCA manual J or other “approved” heating
and cooling calculations methodologies.
IRC-R408.3
• Unvented Crawl Space……Ventilation openings in
under-floor spaces shall not be required where:
• R408.3.2.1……Continuously operated mechanical
exhaust ventilation @ a rate equal to (1) cfm per
50 ft2 of crawlspace floor area, including an air
pathway to the common area and perimeter
walls insulated to N1102.2.9
•
-OR-
• R408.3.2.2……Conditioned air supply sized to
deliver (1) cfm for each 50 ft2 of under floor
area, including a return air pathway to the
common area and perimeter walls insulated in
accordance w/ Section N1102.2.9
IECC Section 405
Simulated Performance Alternative
• Previous versions of the IECC allowed reductions
in R-values to below code levels if HVAC
equipment was improved to above code levels.
For example, utilizing a high efficiency gas
furnace could allow a reduction in ceiling or wall
insulation. The 2009 IECC eliminates this as these
trade offs are by definition energy neutral and in
theory would not impact energy use. However,
envelope measures have longer lifetimes than
HVAC so there could be long term impacts.