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Earlier editions: 20222019

Chapter 5 — EXHAUST SYSTEMS

513.2 Types of Equipment. Fire-extinguishing equipment

California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

shall include both automatic fire-extinguishing systems as primary protection and portable fire extinguishers as secondary backup. [NFPA 96:10.2.1] 513.2.1 Identification. A placard shall be conspicuously placed near each Class K extinguisher that states that the fire protection system shall be activated prior to using the fire extinguisher. [NFPA 96:10.2.2]

513.2.2 Standard. Commercial cooking equipment that produce grease laden vapors shall be provided with a Type I Hood, in accordance with this Code, and an auto- matic fire extinguishing system that is listed and labeled for its intended use as follows:

(1) Wet chemical extinguishing system (NFPA 17A, Stan- dard for Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems), com- plying with UL 300, Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant Cooking Equip- ment. All existing dry chemical and wet chemical extinguishing systems shall comply with UL 300, Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant Cooking Equipment. (2) Carbon dioxide extinguishing systems (NFPA 12, Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Sys- tems ) . (3) Automatic fire sprinkler systems (NFPA 13, Stan- dard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems). All existing dry chemical and wet chemical extinguishing systems shall comply with UL 300, no later than the sec- ond required servicing of the system following the effec- tive date of this section. Exceptions:

(1) Automatic fire-extinguishing equipment provided as part of listed recirculating systems shall comply with UL 710B. [NFPA 96:10.2.5] (2) [DSA-SS & SFM] Public school kitchens, without deep-fat fryers, shall be upgraded to a UL 300, Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection

EXHAUST SYSTEMS

of Restaurant Cooking Equipment, compliant system during state-funded modernization projects that are under the jurisdiction of the Division of the State Architect. 513.2.3 Installation. Automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be installed in accordance with the terms of their listing, the manufacturer’s installation instructions, and the following standards where applicable:

(1) NFPA 12

(2) NFPA 13

(3) NFPA 17

(4) NFPA 17A

(5) NFPA 750 [NFPA 96:10.2.6] 513.2.4 Modification of Existing Hood Systems. Any abandoned pipe or conduit from a previous installation shall be removed from within the hood, plenum, and exhaust duct. [NFPA 96:10.2.7.1]

513.2.4.1 Sealing. Penetrations and holes resulting from the removal of conduit or piping shall be sealed with listed or equivalent liquid-tight sealing devices.

[NFPA 96:10.2.7.2]

513.2.4.2 Obstructions. The addition of obstructions to spray patterns from the cooking appliance nozzle(s) such as baffle plates, shelves, or any modification shall not be permitted. [NFPA 96:10.2.7.3] 513.2.4.3 System Re-evaluation. Changes or modifications to the hazard after installation of the fire-extinguishing systems shall result in re-evaluation of the system design by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person(s). [NFPA 96:10.2.7.4] 513.2.5 Baffle Hoods with Water Wash. Areas requiring protection in accordance with Section 513.1 shall be permitted to be protected by a water-wash system that is listed as a fire-extinguishing system in compliance with UL 300 or other equivalent standards and installed in accordance with the requirements of its listing. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.1] 513.2.5.1 Listed for the Purpose. Each such area not provided with a listed water-wash fire-extinguishing system shall be provided with a fire-extinguishing system listed for the purpose. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.2] 513.2.5.2 Domestic Water Supply. The water supply for water-wash fire-extinguishing systems shall be permitted to be supplied from the domestic water supply when the minimum water pressure and flow are provided in accordance with the terms of the listing.

[NFPA 96:10.2.8.3] 513.2.5.3 Control Valve. The water supply for water-wash fire-extinguishing systems shall be controlled by a listed indicating valve. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.4] 513.2.5.4 Activation. Where a separate fire-extinguishing system is used for protection of cooking equipment only, a water-wash fire-extinguishing system listed for protection of the grease removal device(s), hood exhaust plenum(s), exhaust duct(s), or combination thereof shall be provided with instruc

e-extinguishing systems shall be controlled by a listed indicating valve. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.4] 513.2.5.4 Activation. Where a separate fire-extinguishing system is used for protection of cooking equipment only, a water-wash fire-extinguishing system listed for protection of the grease removal device(s), hood exhaust plenum(s), exhaust duct(s), or combination thereof shall be provided with instruc

tions and appropriate means for electrical interface for simultaneous actuation. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.5] 513.2.5.5 Water-Wash System. A water-wash system approved to be used for protection of the grease removal device(s), hood exhaust plenum(s), exhaust duct(s), or combination thereof shall include instructions and appropriate electrical interface for simultaneous actuation of the water-wash system from an automatic fire-extinguishing system, where the automatic fire-extinguishing system is used for cooking equipment protection only. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.6] 513.2.5.6 Exception. Where the automatic fireextinguishing system in accordance with NFPA 17A provides protection for the hood and duct in a hood containing a water-wash system, the water-wash system shall be made inoperable or delayed for a minimum of 60 seconds upon operation of the automatic fire-extinguishing system. [NFPA 96:10.2.8.7] 513.2.5.7 Water Supply. The water required for listed automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be permitted to be supplied from the domestic water supply where the minimum water pressure and flow are provided in accordance with the terms of the listing. The water supply shall be controlled by a supervised water supply control valve. Where the water supply is from a dedicated fire protection water supply in a building with one or more fire sprinkler systems, separate indicating control valves and drains shall be provided and arranged so that the hood system and sprinkler systems can be controlled individually.

[NFPA 96:10.2.9.1, 10.2.9.2] 513.2.6 Water Valve Supervision. Valves controlling the water supply to listed water-wash fire-extinguishing systems, automatic fire-extinguishing systems, or both shall be listed indicating type of valve and shall be supervised open by one of the following methods:

(1) Central station, proprietary, or remote station alarm service.

(2) Local alarm service that will cause the sounding of an audible signal at a constantly attended point.

(3) Locking valves open.

(4) Sealing of valves and approved weekly recorded inspection. [NFPA 96:10.2.10]

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Contents — California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4)
California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4)
  1. Chapter 1 — GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
  4. Chapter 4 — VENTILATION AIR
  5. Chapter 5 — EXHAUST SYSTEMS
    Overview
    1. 503.1 General. Motors and fans shall be sized to provide
    2. 503.2 Fans. Parts of fans in contact with explosive or flammab…
    3. 504.1 General. Where not specified in this chapter, exhaust
    4. 501.1 Applicability. This chapter includes requirements for
    5. 502.1 Exhaust Opening Protection. Exhaust openings
    6. 502.2 Termination of Exhaust Ducts. Exhaust ducts
    7. 504.2 Independent Exhaust Systems. Single or combined mechanic…
    8. 504.3 Domestic Cooking Exhaust Equipment.
    9. 504.4 Clothes Dryers. A clothes dryer exhaust duct shall
    10. 504.5 Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) and Energy
    11. 505.1 General. A mechanical ventilation or exhaust system
    12. 505.2 Incompatible Materials. Incompatible materials
    13. 505.3 Flammability Limit. Unless the circumstances stipulated …
    14. 505.4 Air-Moving Devices. Air-moving devices shall be
    15. 505.5 Generating Flames, Sparks, or Hot Materials.
    16. 505.6 Fire Dampers. Fire dampers shall be permitted to be
    17. 505.7 Fire Detection, Smoke Control, and Alarm Sys-
    18. 505.8 Product-Conveying Duct Classifications. Product-conveyin…
    19. 505.9 Minimum Velocities and Circulation. The velocity and cir…
    20. 505.10 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided to replenish a…
    21. 505.11 Hoods and Enclosures. Hoods and enclosures shall
    22. 505.12 Pharmacies – Compounding Area of Par-
    23. 506.1 Materials. Materials used in product-conveying duct
    24. 506.2 Construction. Ducts used for conveying products
    25. 506.3 Penetrations. Exhaust ducts shall not pass through
    26. 506.4 Condensate. Joints in duct construction shall be liquidt…
    27. 506.5 Fittings. Fittings in Class 2, 3, and 4 systems shall be
    28. 506.6 Explosion Venting. Ducts conveying explosive dusts
    29. 506.7 Supports. Supports shall be of noncombustible materials,…
    30. 506.8 Fire Protection. Sprinklers or other fire-protection
    31. 506.9 Protection from Physical Damage. Ducts and
    32. 506.10 Duct Clearances. Unless the conditions stipulated
    33. 506.11 Clearance Reduction Methods. It shall be permitted to p…
    34. 507.1 Exhaust Systems. Exhaust systems serving Type I
    35. 507.2 Type I Hood Exhaust System Requirements.
    36. 507.3 Listed Devices. Penetrations shall be sealed with
    37. 507.4 Clearance. Where enclosures are not required, hoods,
    38. 507.5 Drawings. For cooking operations in buildings, a
    39. 507.6 Notification of Change. If required by the Authority Hav…
    40. 507.7 Pharmaceutical Compounding Exhaust Dis-
    41. 508.1 Where Required. Type I hoods shall be installed at
    42. 508.2 Listed Type I Hood Assemblies. Listed hood
    43. 508.3 Construction of Type I Hoods. The hood or that
    44. 508.4 Supports. Hoods shall be secured in place to resist
    45. 508.5 Hood Size. Hoods shall be sized in accordance with
    46. 508.6 Solid-Fuel Hood Assemblies. Where solid-fuel
    47. 508.7 Exhaust Outlets. An exhaust outlet within an
    48. 509.1 Grease Removal Devices. Listed grease filters or
    49. 509.2 Installation. The distance between the grease removal
    50. 509.3 Solid-Fuel Grease Removal Devices. Where
    51. 510.1 General. Ducts shall not pass through fire walls.
    52. 510.2 Clearance. Clearance between ducts and combustible
    53. 510.3 Openings. Openings shall be provided at the sides or
    54. 510.4 Listed Grease Ducts. Listed grease ducts shall be
    55. 510.5 Other Grease Ducts. Other grease ducts shall comply with…
    56. 510.6 Exterior Installations. For cooking operations in
    57. 510.7 Interior Installations. In all buildings more than one
    58. 510.8 Underground Installations. Grease ducts installed
    59. 510.9 Termination of Type I Hood Exhaust System.
    60. 510.10 Solid-Fuel Duct Systems. Where solid-fuel cooking equip…
    61. 511.1 Exhaust Fans for Commercial Cooking Opera-
    62. 511.2 Airflow. The air velocity through a duct shall be not
    63. 511.3 Makeup Air. The makeup air quantity shall prevent
    64. 511.4 Common Duct (Manifold) Systems. Master
    65. 511.5 Solid-Fuel Air Movement Requirements. Where
    66. 512.1 Dampers. Dampers shall not be installed in exhaust
    67. 512.2 Electrical Equipment. Wiring systems of any type
    68. 512.3 Other Equipment. Fume incinerators, thermal recovery uni…
    69. 512.4 Solid-Fuel Auxiliary Equipment. Where solid fuel
    70. 513.1 General. Fire-extinguishing equipment for the protection…
    71. 513.2 Types of Equipment. Fire-extinguishing equipment
    72. 513.3 Simultaneous Operation. Fixed pipe extinguishing
    73. 513.4 Fuel and Electric Power Shutoff. Upon actuation of
    74. 513.5 Manual Actuation. All systems shall have both automatic …
    75. 513.6 System Annunciation. Upon actuation of an automatic fire…
    76. 513.7 Special Design and Application. Hoods containing
    77. 513.8 Review and Certification. Where required, complete
    78. 513.9 Installation Requirements. Installation of systems
    79. 513.10 Portable Fire Extinguishers. Portable fire extinguisher…
    80. 513.11 Maintenance. Portable fire extinguishers shall be
    81. 513.12 Solid-Fuel Fire-Extinguishing Equipment.
    82. 514.1 Operating Procedures. Exhaust systems shall be
    83. 514.2 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance. Maintenance of the…
    84. 514.3 Inspection for Grease Buildup. The entire exhaust
    85. 514.4 Cleaning of Exhaust Systems. If, upon inspection,
    86. 514.5 Cooking Equipment Maintenance. Inspection and
    87. 515.1 Cooking Equipment. Cooking equipment shall be
    88. 515.2 Operating Controls. Deep-fat fryers shall be equipped
    89. 516.1 General Requirements. Recirculating systems containing o…
    90. 516.2 Design Restrictions. All recirculating systems shall
    91. 516.3 Interlocks. The recirculating system shall be provided
    92. 516.4 Location and Application Restrictions. The
    93. 516.5 Additional Fire Safety Requirements. In addition to the …
    94. 516.6 Use and Maintenance. Automatic or manual covers on cooki…
    95. 517.1 Venting Application. Venting requirements of solidfuel c…
    96. 517.2 Location of Appliances. For cooking operations in
    97. 517.3 Hoods for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Hoods shall be sized
    98. 517.4 Exhaust Systems for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Where
    99. 517.5 Grease Removal Devices for Solid-Fuel Cook-
    100. 517.6 Air Movement for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Exhaust
    101. 517.7 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment for Solid-Fuel
    102. 517.8 Other Safety Requirements. Metal-fabricated solidfuel co…
    103. 518.1 General. Downdraft appliance ventilation system
    104. 518.2 Ventilation System. The downdraft appliance ventilation …
    105. 518.3 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment. For fire-extinguishing equ…
    106. 518.4 Airflow Switch or Transducer. An airflow switch or
    107. 518.5 Surface Materials. Any surface located directly
    108. 519.1 Where Required. Type II hoods shall be installed
    109. 519.2 Construction of Type II Hoods. Type II hoods
    110. 519.3 Type II Hood Exhaust System Net Airflow. The
    111. 519.4 Type II Exhaust Duct Systems. Ducts and
    112. 519.5 Termination of Type II Hood Exhaust System.
    113. 519.6 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided in accordance w…
    114. 519.7 Independent Exhaust Duct System. Single or
  6. Chapter 6 — DUCT SYSTEMS
  7. Chapter 7 — COMBUSTION AIR
  8. Chapter 8 — CHIMNEYS AND VENTS
  9. Chapter 9 — INSTALLATION OF SPECIFIC APPLIANCES
  10. Chapter 10 — BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS
  11. Chapter 11 — REFRIGERATION
  12. Chapter 12 — HYDRONICS
  13. Chapter 13 — FUEL GAS PIPING
  14. Chapter 14 — PROCESS PIPING
  15. Chapter 15 — SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 16 — STATIONARY POWER PLANTS
  17. Chapter 17 — GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE…
  18. Chapter 18 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  19. Appendix A — RESIDENTIAL PLAN EXAMINER REVIEW FORM FOR HVAC SY…
  20. Appendix B — PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED TO PLACE GAS EQUIPMENT …
  21. Appendix C — INSTALLATION AND TESTING OF OIL (LIQUID) FUEL-FIR…
  22. Appendix D — FUEL SUPPLY: MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND R…
  23. Appendix E — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
  24. Appendix F — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION …
  25. Appendix G — EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF OUTDOOR AIR RATE
  26. Appendix H — PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
  27. Appendix I — INDOOR HORTICULTURAL FACILITIES
  28. Appendix J — CLEAN AIR DELIVERY

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