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Chapter 8 — CHIMNEYS AND VENTS

802.3 Design and Construction. Venting systems shall

California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

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

be designed and constructed to convey flue and vent gases to the outdoors. [NFPA 54:12.1]

802.3.1 Appliance Draft Requirements. A venting system shall satisfy the draft requirements of the appliance in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

[NFPA 54:12.4.1] 802.3.2 Appliance Venting Requirements. Appliances required to be vented shall be connected to a venting system designed and installed in accordance with the provisions of Section 802.4 through Section 802.15.1.

[NFPA 54:12.4.2]

2019 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE 135

CHIMNEYS AND VENTS any other purpose or distributed to any other persons or parti es.

802.3.3 Mechanical Draft Systems. Mechanical draft systems shall be listed and installed in accordance with both the appliance and the mechanical draft system manufacturer’s installation instructions. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.1] 802.3.3.1 Venting. Appliances requiring venting shall be permitted to be vented by means of mechanical draft systems of either forced or induced draft design. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.2] 802.3.3.2 Leakage. Forced draft systems and portions of induced draft systems under positive pressure during operation shall be designed and installed so as to prevent leakage of flue or vent gases into a building. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.3] 802.3.3.3 Vent Connectors. Vent connectors serving appliances vented by natural draft shall not be connected into any portion of mechanical draft systems operating under positive pressure. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.4] 802.3.3.4 Operation. Where a mechanical draft system is employed, provision shall be made to prevent the flow of gas to the main burners where the draft system is not performing so as to satisfy the operating requirements of the appliance for safe performance. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.5] 802.3.3.5 Exit Terminals. The exit terminals of mechanical draft systems shall be not less than 7 feet (2134 mm) above finished ground level where located adjacent to public walkways and shall be located as specified in Section 802.8 and Section 802.8.1. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.6] 802.3.4 Ventilating Hoods and Exhaust Systems. Ventilating hoods and exhaust systems shall be permitted to be used to vent appliances installed in commercial applications. [NFPA 54:12.4.4.1]

tems shall be not less than 7 feet (2134 mm) above finished ground level where located adjacent to public walkways and shall be located as specified in Section 802.8 and Section 802.8.1. [NFPA 54:12.4.3.6] 802.3.4 Ventilating Hoods and Exhaust Systems. Ventilating hoods and exhaust systems shall be permitted to be used to vent appliances installed in commercial applications. [NFPA 54:12.4.4.1]

Where automatically operated appliances, other than 802.3.4.1 Automatically Operated Appliance. commercial cooking appliances, are vented through a ventilating hood or exhaust system equipped with a damper or with a power means of exhaust, provisions shall be made to allow the flow of gas to the main burners where the damper is open to a position to properly vent the appliance and where the power means of exhaust is in operation. [NFPA 54:12.4.4.2] Plenums.802.3.5 Circulating Air Ducts and Furnace Venting systems shall not extend into or pass through a fabricated air duct or furnace plenum. [NFPA 54:12.4.5.1] dling System.802.3.6 Above-Ceiling or Nonducted Air Han- Where a venting system passes through an above-ceiling air space or other nonducted portion of an air-handling system, it shall conform to one of the following requirements: (1) The venting system shall be a listed special gas vent,

other system serving a Category III or Category IV

appliance, or other positive pressure vent, with joints sealed in accordance with the appliance or vent manufacturer’s instructions. (2) The vent system shall be installed such that no fit tings or joints between sections are installed in the

(2) The vent system shall be installed such that no fit tings or joints between sections are installed in the above-ceiling space. (3) The venting system shall be installed in a conduit or

enclosure with joints between the interior of the

(3) The venting system shall be installed in a conduit or

enclosure with joints between the interior of the enclosure and the ceiling space sealed. [NFPA 54:12.4.5.2]

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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
  6. Chapter 6 — DUCT SYSTEMS
  7. Chapter 7 — COMBUSTION AIR
  8. ▸Chapter 8 — CHIMNEYS AND VENTS
    Overview
    1. 801.1 Applicability.801.0 General. The requirements of this ch…
    2. 801.2 Venting of Gas Appliances. Low-heat and
    3. 801.3 Appliances Fueled by Other Fuels. Appliances
    4. 802.1 Listing.802.0 Venting of Appliances. Type B and Type B-W…
    5. 802.2 Connection to Venting Systems. Except as permitted in Se…
    6. 802.3 Design and Construction. Venting systems shall
    7. 802.4 Type of Venting System to be Used. The type of
    8. 802.5 Masonry, Metal, and Factory-Built Chimneys. Chimneys sha…
    9. 802.6 Gas Vents. The installation of gas vents shall meet
    10. 802.7 Single-Wall Metal Pipe. Single-wall metal pipe
    11. 802.8 Through-the-Wall Vent Termination. A mechanical draft ve…
    12. 802.9 Condensation Drain. Provision shall be made to
    13. 802.10 Vent Connectors for Category I Appliances.
    14. 802.11 Vent Connectors for Category II, Category III,and Categ…
    15. 802.12 Draft Hoods and Draft Controls. Vented appliances shall…
    16. 802.14 Obstructions. Devices that retard the flow of vent
    17. 802.13 Manually Operated Dampers. A manually operated damper s…
    18. 802.15 Automatically Operated Vent Dampers. An
    19. 803.1 Single Appliance Vent Table 803.1.2(1) through
    20. 803.2 Multiple Appliance Vent Table 803.2(1) through
  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 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  18. Appendix A — RESIDENTIAL PLAN EXAMINER REVIEW FORM FOR HVAC SY…
  19. Appendix B — PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED TO PLACE GAS EQUIPMENT …
  20. Appendix C — INSTALLATION AND TESTING OF OIL (LIQUID) FUEL-FIR…
  21. Appendix D — FUEL SUPPLY: MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND R…
  22. Appendix E — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
  23. Appendix F — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION …
  24. Appendix G — EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF OUTDOOR AIR RATE

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