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Chapter 10 — BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS

1014.1 General.

California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

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

Boilers and pressure vessels shall be operated and maintained in accordance with requirements for protection of the public established by the Authority Having Jurisdiction in accordance with nationally recognized standards.

The Authority Having Jurisdiction shall notify the owner or authorized representative of defects or deficiencies and properly corrected. Where such corrections are not made, or where the operation of the boiler or pressure vessel is deemed unsafe by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, they shall have the authority to revoke the permit to operate the boiler or pressure vessel. Where the operation of a boiler or pressure vessel is deemed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction to constitute an immediate danger, the pressure on such boiler or pressure vessel shall be permitted to be relieved at the owner’s cost and the boiler or pressure vessel shall not thereafter be operated without the approval of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

2022 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE 209

BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS

CONTROL AND LIMIT DEVICE SYSTEM DESIGN11 Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Per NFPA 85 Per NFPA 85
APPROVED
FUEL SHUT-
OFF10
APPROVED
FUEL SHUT-
OFF10
APPROVED
FUEL SHUT-
OFF10
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Required Not
Required
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
STEAM
PRESSURE
AND LOW
WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS9
STEAM
PRESSURE
AND LOW
WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS9
STEAM
PRESSURE
AND LOW
WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS9
Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Per
ASME
Power
Boiler
Code,
Section 1
and
NFPA 85
Per
ASME
Boiler &
Pressure
Code &
NFPA 85
HOT WATER
TEMPERA-
TURE AND
LOW WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS8
HOT WATER
TEMPERA-
TURE AND
LOW WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS8
HOT WATER
TEMPERA-
TURE AND
LOW WATER
LIMIT CON-
TROLS8
Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Per
ASME
Power
Boiler
Code,
Section 1
and
NFPA 85
Per
ASME
Boiler &
Pressure
Code &
NFPA 85
PRE-
PURGING
CONTROL7
PRE-
PURGING
CONTROL7
PRE-
PURGING
CONTROL7
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Required Not
Required
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
LOW FIRE
START UP
CONTROL6
LOW FIRE
START UP
CONTROL6
LOW FIRE
START UP
CONTROL6
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Required Not
Required
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
ASSURED
AIR SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL5
ASSURED
AIR SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL5
ASSURED
AIR SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL5
Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Required Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
ASSURED
FUEL SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL4
ASSURED
FUEL SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL4
ASSURED
FUEL SUP-
PLY CON-
TROL4
Not
Required
Not
Required
Required Required Not
Required
Required Required Required Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
SAFETY CONTROL TIMING
(NOMINAL MAXIMUM TIME IN SECONDS)
MAIN
BURNER
FLAME
FAILURE3
MAIN
BURNER
FLAME
FAILURE3
90 2-4 2-4 2-4 90 2-4 2-4 2-4 Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
SAFETY CONTROL TIMING
(NOMINAL MAXIMUM TIME IN SECONDS)
TRIAL FOR MAIN
BURNER FRAME
FLAME
PILOT
90 15 15 15 90 30 15 60 Not
Required
Per
NFPA
85
Per
NFPA 85
SAFETY CONTROL TIMING
(NOMINAL MAXIMUM TIME IN SECONDS)
TRIAL FOR MAIN
BURNER FRAME
DIRECT
ELECTRIC
IGNITION
Not
Required
15 15 15 90 30 15 15 Not
Required
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
SAFETY CONTROL TIMING
(NOMINAL MAXIMUM TIME IN SECONDS)
TRIAL FOR
PILOT
TRIAL FOR
PILOT
90 15 15 15 Not
Required
Not
Required
Not
Required
15 Not
Required
10 sec
Per
NFPA 85
Per
NFPA 85
TYPE OF
PILOT2
TYPE OF
PILOT2
TYPE OF
PILOT2
Any type Interrupted
or
Intermittent
Interrupted
or
Intermittent
Interrupted Any type Interrupted Interrupted Interrupted Not required Any None
FUEL INPUT
RANGE1
(INCLUSIVE),

BTU/H
FUEL INPUT
RANGE1
(INCLUSIVE),

BTU/H
FUEL INPUT
RANGE1
(INCLUSIVE),

BTU/H
0 - 400 000 400 001 -
2 500 000
2 500 001 -
5 000 000
Over
5 000 000
0 - 400 000 400 001 -
1 000 000
1 000 001 -
3 000 000
Over
3 000 000
All 12 500 000
or more
Any

FUEL

FUEL

FUEL
Gas Gas Gas Gas Oil Oil Oil Oil Electric Gas, Oil
and/or
Coal
Heat
Recovery
Steam
Generator
BOILER
GROUP
BOILER
GROUP
BOILER
GROUP
A B C D E F G H K L M

210 2022 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE

BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS

FOOTNOTES FOR TABLE 1003.2.1 (continued)

1 Fuel input shall be determined by one of the following: The burner input shall not exceed the input shown on the burner nameplate or as otherwise identified by the manufacturer. The nominal boiler rating, as determined by the building official, plus 25 percent.

2 Automatic boilers shall have one flame failure device on each burner, which shall prove the presence of an ignition source at the point where it will ignite the main burner, except that boiler groups A, B, E, F, and G, which are equipped with direct electric ignition, shall monitor the main burner, and boiler groups using interrupted pilots shall monitor the main burner after the prescribed limited trial and ignition periods. Boiler group A, equipped with continuous pilot, shall accomplish 100 percent shutoff within 90 seconds upon pilot flame failure. The use of intermittent pilots in boiler group C is limited to approved burner units.

3 In boiler groups B, C, and D a 90 second main burner flame failure limit shall be permitted to be applied where continuous pilots are provided on manufacturer assembled boiler-burner units that have been approved by an approved testing agency in accordance with nationally recognized standards approved by the building official. Boiler groups F and G equipped to re-energize their ignition systems within 0.8 second after main burner flame failure will be permitted 30 seconds for group F or 15 seconds for group G to re-establish their main burner flames.

4 Boiler groups C and D shall have controls interlocked to accomplish a non-recycling fuel shutoff upon high or low gas pressure, and boiler groups F, G, and H using steam or air for fuel atomization shall have controls interlocked to accomplish a nonrecycling fuel shutoff upon low atomizing steam or air pressure. Boiler groups F, G, and H equipped with a preheated oil system shall have controls interlocked to provide fuel shutoff upon low oil temperature.

5 Automatic boilers shall have controls interlocked to shut off the fuel supply in the event of draft failure where forced or induced draft fans are used or, in the event of low combustion airflow, where a gas power burner is used. Where a single motor directly driving both the fan and the oil pump is used, a separate control is not required.

6 Boiler groups C, D, and H, where firing in excess of 400 000 Btu/h (117 kW) per combustion chamber, shall be provided with low fire start of its main burner system to permit smooth light-off. This will normally be a rate of one-third of its maximum firing rate.

7 Boiler groups C, D, and H shall not permit pilot or main burner trial for ignition operation before a purging operation of sufficient duration to permit not less than four complete air changes through the furnace, including a combustion chamber and the boiler passes. Where this is not readily determinable, five complete air changes of the furnace, including combustion chamber up to the first pass, will be considered equivalent. An atmospheric gas burner with no mechanical means of creating air movement or an oil burner that obtains two-thirds or more of the air required for combustion without mechanical means of creating air movement shall not require purge by means of four air changes, so long as its secondary air openings are not provided with means of closing. Where such burners have means of closing secondary air openings, a time delay shall be provided that puts these closures in a normally open position for four minutes before an attempt for ignition. An installation with a trapped combustion chamber shall, in every case, be provided with a mechanical means of creating air movement for purging. 8 An automatic hot-water-heating boiler, low-pressure hot-water-heating boiler, and power hot water boiler shall be equipped with two high-temperature limit controls with a manual reset on the control, with the higher setting interlocked to shut off the main fuel supply, except that manual reset on the high-temperature limit control shall not be required on an automatic package boiler not exceeding 400 000 Btu/h (117 kW) input and that has been approved by an approved testing agency. An automatic hot-water heating, power boiler, and package hot-water supply boiler shall be equipped with one low-water level limit control with a manual reset interlocked to shut off the fuel supply, so installed as to prevent damage to the boiler and to permit testing of the control without draining the heating system, except on boilers used in Group R Occupancies of less than six units and in Group U Occupancies and further, except that the low-water level limit control is not required on package hot-water supply boilers approved by a nationally recognized testing agency. However, a lowwater flow limit control installed in the circulating water line shall be permitted to be used instead of the low-water level limit control for the same purpose on coil-type boilers. 9 An automatic low-pressure steam-heating boiler, small power boiler, and power steam boiler shall be equipped with two high-steam pressure limit controls interlocked to shut off the fuel supply to the main burner with manual reset on the control, with the higher setting and two low-water-level limit controls, one of which shall be provided with a manual reset device and independent of the feed water controller. Coil-type flash steam boilers shall be permitted to use two high-temperature limit controls, one of which shall be manually reset in the hot water coil section of the boiler instead of the low-water level limit control.

the control, with the higher setting and two low-water-level limit controls, one of which shall be provided with a manual reset device and independent of the feed water controller. Coil-type flash steam boilers shall be permitted to use two high-temperature limit controls, one of which shall be manually reset in the hot water coil section of the boiler instead of the low-water level limit control.

10 Boiler groups C, D, and H shall use an approved automatic reset safety shutoff valve for the main burner fuel shutoff, which shall be interlocked to the programming control devices required. On oil burners where the safety shutoff valve will be subjected to pressures in excess of 10 psi (69 kPa) where the burner is not firing, a second safety shutoff valve shall be provided in series with the first. Boiler groups C and D using gas in excess of 1 psi (7 kPa) pressure or having a trapped combustion chamber or employing horizontal fire tubes shall be equipped with two approved safety shutoff valves, one of which shall be an automatic reset type, one of which shall be permitted to be used as an operating control, and both of which shall be interlocked to the limit-control devices required. Boiler groups C and D using gas in excess of 1 psi (7 kPa) pressure shall be provided with a permanent and ready means for making periodic tightness checks of the main fuel safety shutoff valves.

11 Control and limit device systems shall be grounded with operating voltage not to exceed 150 volts, except that, upon approval by the building official, existing control equipment to be reused in an altered boiler control system shall be permitted to use 220 volts single phase with one side grounded, provided such voltage is used for all controls. Control and limit devices shall interrupt the ungrounded side of the circuit. A readily accessible means of manually disconnecting the control circuit shall be provided with controls so arranged that where they are de-energized, the burner shall be inoperative.

2022 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE 211

212 2022 CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE

CALIFORNIA MECHANICAL CODE – MATRIX ADOPTION TABLE

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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
  9. Chapter 9 — INSTALLATION OF SPECIFIC APPLIANCES
  10. Chapter 10 — BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS
    Overview
    1. 1001.1 Applicability. The requirements of this chapter shall
    2. 1001.2 Boiler Rooms and Enclosures. Boiler rooms and
    3. 1001.3 Air for Combustion and Ventilation. Air for
    4. 1001.4 Drainage. For heating or hot-water-supply boiler
    5. 1001.5 Mounting. Equipment shall be set or mounted on a
    6. 1001.6 Chimneys or Vents. Boilers shall be connected to
    7. 1002.1 General. Pressure vessels shall be constructed and
    8. 1002.2 Oil-Burning Boilers. Oil-burning boilers shall
    9. 1002.3 Electric Boilers. Electric boilers shall be listed and
    10. 1002.4 Solid-Fuel-Fired Boilers. Solid-fuel-fired boilers
    11. 1002.5 Dual Purpose Water Heater. Water heaters utilized for c…
    12. 1003.1 Safety Requirements. The construction of boilers and pr…
    13. 1003.2 Controls. Required electrical, mechanical, safety,
    14. 1003.3 Gauges. Steam boilers shall be provided with a
    15. 1003.4 Stack Dampers. Stack dampers on boilers fired
    16. 1003.5 Welding. Welding on pressure vessels shall be done
    17. 1004.1 General. An expansion tank shall be installed in a
    18. 1004.2 Open-Type Expansion Tanks. Open type expansion tanks sh…
    19. 1004.3 Closed-Type Systems. Closed-type systems shall
    20. 1004.4 Minimum Capacity of Closed-Type Tank. The
    21. 1005.1 General. Pressurized vessels or boilers shall be provid…
    22. 1005.2 Discharge Piping. The discharge piping serving a
    23. 1005.3 Splash Shield. Where the operating temperature
    24. 1005.4 Hazardous Discharge. Where the discharge from
    25. 1005.5 Vacuum Relief Valve. Hot-water heating systems
    26. 1006.1 General. An approved manual shutoff valve shall
    27. 1007.1 General. An approved gas-pressure regulator shall
    28. 1008.1 General. Hot water boilers and steam boilers shall
    29. 1009.1 General. The following requirements shall be
    30. 1010.1 General. Where boilers are installed or replaced,
    31. 1010.2 Power Boilers. Power boilers having a steam-generating …
    32. 1010.3 Steam-Heating Boilers, Hot Water Boilers, and
    33. 1010.4 Package Boilers, Steam-Heating Boilers, and
    34. 1011.1 General. The design, installation, and operation of
    35. 1012.1 General. Hot water boiler installations, upon completio…
    36. 1013.1 General. An installation for which a permit is
    37. 1013.2 Operating Permit. It shall be unlawful to operate a
    38. 1013.3 Maintenance Inspection. The Authority Having
    39. 1013.4 Power and Miniature Boilers. Power boilers and
    40. 1013.5 Steam-Heating and Water-Heating Boilers.
    41. 1013.6 Automatic Steam-Heating Boilers. Automatic
    42. 1013.7 Unfired Pressure Vessels. Unfired pressure vessels shal…
    43. 1014.1 General. Boilers and pressure vessels shall be operated…
  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 — GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
  24. Appendix G — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION …
  25. Appendix H — EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF OUTDOOR AIR RATE

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