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Chapter 13 — HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND MEDICAL GAS AND MEDICAL VACUUM SYSTEMS

1306.0 Qualifications of Installers.1306.1 General.

California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

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

The installation of medical gas and vacuum systems shall be made by qualified, competent technicians who are experienced in performing such installations, including all personnel who actually install the piping system. Installers of medical gas and vacuum piped distribution systems, all appurtenant piping supporting pump and compressor source systems, and appurtenant piping supporting source gas manifold systems, not including permanently installed bulk source systems shall be certified in accordance with ASSE 6010. [NFPA 99:5.1.10.11.10.1, 5.1.10.11.10.2]

TABLE 1305.2 MINIMUM FLOW RATES (cubic feet per minute)

MEDICAL SYSTEM FLOW RATE
Oxygen
 .71 CFM per outlet1


1



1





2


1




GAS SERVICE ABBREVIATED
NAME		 COLORS
(BACKGROUND/
TEXT)		 STANDARD
GAUGE
PRESSURE





Carbon dioxide
CO2
 Gray/black or
gray/white
50–55 psi

Nitrogen
 N2
 Black/white
160–185 psi
Nitrous oxide
 N2O
 Blue/white
50–55 psi

Oxygen

 O2
 Green/white or
white/green
50–55 psi
Oxygen/carbon
dioxide
mixtures

 O2~~/CO~~2 n% (~~~~n
= % of CO2)
 Green/white
 50–55 psi
Medical–surgi-
cal vacuum

 Med Vac
 White/black
 15 inch to 30
inch HgV

Waste
anesthetic gas
disposal		 WAGD Violet/white
Varies with
system type
Other mixtures

 Gas A% / Gas
B%		 Colors as
above; major
gas for back-
ground/minor
gas for text
 None
Nonmedical air
(Category 3
gas-powered
device)
 ––
Yellow-and-
white diagonal
stripe/black

 None
Nonmedical
and Category 3
vacuum
 ––
 White-and-
black diagonal
stripe/black
boxed

 None
Laboratory air
 –– Yellow-and-
white checker
board/black

 None
Laboratory
vacuum
 ––
 White-and-
black checker-
board/black
boxed
 None

Instrument air



vacuum (HgV) = 3.386 kPa

Notes: 1 A room designed for a permanently located respiratory ventilator or anesthesia machine shall have an outlet capable of a flow rate of 6.36 CFM (3.0 L/s) at the station outlet. 2 For testing and certification purposes, individual station inlets shall be capable of a flow rate of 3 SCFM (1.4 L/s), while maintaining a system pressure of not less than 12 inches of mercury (41 kPa) at the nearest adjacent vacuum inlet.

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▸Contents — California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5)
California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5)
  1. Chapter 1 — GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
  4. Chapter 4 — PLUMBING FIXTURES AND FIXTURE FITTINGS
  5. Chapter 5 — WATER HEATERS
  6. Chapter 6 — WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION
  7. Chapter 7 — SANITARY DRAINAGE
  8. Chapter 8 — INDIRECT WASTES
  9. Chapter 9 — VENTS
  10. Chapter 10 — TRAPS AND INTERCEPTORS
  11. Chapter 11 — STORM DRAINAGE
  12. Chapter 12 — FUEL GAS PIPING
  13. ▸Chapter 13 — HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND MEDICAL GAS AND MEDICA…
    Overview
    1. 1301.0 General.1301.1 Applicability. This chapter applies to t…
    2. 1301.2 Where Not Applicable. This chapter does not apply
    3. 1301.3 Conflict of Requirements. The requirements of
    4. 1301.4 Terms. Where the terms medical gas or medical support g…
    5. 1301.5 Where Required. Construction and equipment
    6. 1301.6 Existing Systems. Only the altered, renovated, or
    7. 1302.2 Patient Care Spaces. The governing body of the
    8. 1302.3 Anesthesia. It shall be the responsibility of the gover…
    9. 1302.4 Wet Procedure Locations. It shall be the responsibility…
    10. 1303.2 Psychiatric Patient Rooms. Piping and drain
    11. 1303.3 Locations for Ice Storage. Ice makers or ice storage co…
    12. 1303.4 Sterilizers and Bedpan Steamers. Sterilizers
    13. 1303.5 Aspirators. Provisions for aspirators or other watersup…
    14. 1303.6 Drains. Drains shall be installed on dryers, aftercoole…
    15. 1303.7 Clinical Sinks. Clinical sinks shall be installed in
    16. 1303.8 Water Supply for Hospitals. Hospitals shall be
    17. 1304.0 Medical Gas and Medical Vacuum Piping Sys-
    18. 1304.2 Manufacturer’s Instructions. The installation of
    19. 1304.3 Category 2 Piped Medical Gas and MedicalVacuum. Categor…
    20. 1304.4 Category 3 Piped Medical Gas and MedicalVacuum. Categor…
    21. 1304.5 Certification of Systems. Certification of medical gas …
    22. 1304.6 Construction Documents. Before a medical gas
    23. 1305.2 Minimum Flow Rates. Medical gas and vacuum
    24. 1305.3 Minimum Station Outlets and Inlets. Station
    25. 1306.0 Qualifications of Installers.1306.1 General. The instal…
    26. 1306.2 Brazing. Brazing shall be performed by individuals
    27. 1306.3 Health Care Organization Personnel. Health
    28. 1307.2 Examination. Brazers shall be qualified by visual
    29. 1307.3 Brazing Procedure Specification. The brazing
    30. 1307.4 Documentation. The brazing procedure qualification reco…
    31. 1307.5 Procedures. Brazing procedures qualified by a technical…
    32. 1307.7 Qualifications. Performance qualifications of brazers s…
    33. 1307.6 Conditions of Acceptance. An employer shall be
    34. 1308.2 Cleaning. Tubes, valves, fittings, station outlets, and
    35. 1308.3 Delivery. Each length of tube shall be delivered
    36. 1308.4 Tubes for Medical Gas Systems. Tubes shall be
    37. 1308.5 Tubes for Medical Vacuum Systems. Piping for
    38. 1309.2 Changes in Direction. Positive pressure patient
    39. 1308.6 Category 3 Systems. Category 3 systems shall
    40. 1309.3 Medical Vacuum Systems. Vacuum systems shall
    41. 1309.4 Brazed Joints and Fittings. Fittings shall be
    42. 1309.5 Tube Ends. Tube ends shall be cut square using a
    43. 1309.6 Cleaning Procedures. The interior surfaces of
    44. 1309.7 Brazing Dissimilar Metals. Flux shall only be
    45. 1309.8 Nitrogen Purge. When brazing, joints shall be continuou…
    46. 1309.9 Assembling and Heating Brazed Joints. Tube
    47. 1309.10 Inspection of Brazed Joints. After brazing, the
    48. 1309.11 Memory Metal Fittings. Memory metal fittings
    49. 1309.12 Axially Swaged Fittings. Axially swaged, elastic strai…
    50. 1309.13 Threaded Fittings. Threaded fittings shall meet
    51. 1309.14 Dielectric Fittings. Dielectric fittings that comply
    52. 1309.15 Other Types of Fittings. Listed or approved
    53. 1309.16 Welded Joints. Welded joints for medical gas and
    54. 1310.2 Required Pipe Sizing. Piping systems shall be
    55. 1309.17 Welding for Stainless Tube. Stainless tube shall
    56. 1309.18 Prohibited Joints. The following joints shall be
    57. 1310.3 Pipe Protection. Piping shall be protected against
    58. 1310.4 Location of Piping. Piping risers shall be permitted to…
    59. 1310.5 Pipe Support. Piping shall be supported from the
    60. 1310.7 Connectors. Hose and flexible connectors, both
    61. 1310.6 Backfilling and Trenching. The installation procedure f…
    62. 1310.9 Changes in System Use. Where a positive-pressure medica…
    63. 1310.10 Breaching or Penetrating Medical Gas Pip-ing. Positive…
    64. 1310.11 Labeling, Identification and Operating Pres-sure. Colo…
    65. 1310.8 Prohibited System Interconnections. Two or
    66. 1311.0 Valves.1311.1 General. New or replacement valves shall …
    67. 1311.6 Zone Valves. All station outlets/inlets shall be suppli…
    68. 1311.7 In-Line Shutoff Valves. Optional in-line valves
    69. 1311.8 Emergency Shutoff Valves. Category 3 systems
    70. 1311.2 Source Valves. A shutoff valve shall be placed at
    71. 1311.3 Main Line Valve. A shutoff valve shall be provided
    72. 1311.4 Riser Valves. Each riser supplied from the main line
    73. 1311.5 Service Valves. Service valves shall be installed to
    74. 1311.9 Valves for Future Connections. Future connection valves…
    75. 1311.10 Identification of Shutoff Valves. Shutoff valves
    76. 1312.0 Central Supply Systems.1312.1 Permitted Locations for M…
    77. 1312.2 Materials. Materials used in central supply systems
    78. 1312.3 Pressure-Relief Valve Requirements. Central
    79. 1313.0 Medical Air Supply Systems.1313.1 Quality of Medical Ai…
    80. 1313.3 Category 2 Medical Air Supply Systems. Category 2 syste…
    81. 1313.2 Medical Air Compressors. Medical air compressors shall …
    82. 1313.4 Category 3 Systems. Category 3 dental air compressor su…
    83. 1313.5 Air Sources. Air sources for medical air compressors sh…
    84. 1313.6 Air Intakes. Compressor intake piping shall be permitte…
    85. 1314.2 Medical-Surgical Vacuum Sources. Medicalsurgical vacuum…
    86. 1313.7 Medical Air Receivers. Receivers for medical air
    87. 1314.3 Vacuum Pumps. Additional pumps shall automatically acti…
    88. 1314.4 Vacuum Receivers. Receivers for vacuum shall
    89. 1315.2 Pressure Relief Valves. All pressure relief valves
    90. 1314.5 Vacuum Source Exhausts. The medical-surgical
    91. 1315.3 Pressure and Vacuum Indicator Locations. Pressure/vacuu…
    92. 1316.2 Required Valves. Each station outlet shall consist
    93. 1316.3 Post Installation. After installation of the piping,
    94. 1316.4 Identification. Station outlets and inlets shall be
    95. 1317.0 Warning Systems.1317.1 Category 1. All master, area, an…
    96. 1317.2 Category 2 Systems. Warning systems associated
    97. 1317.3 Category 3 Systems. Category 3 warning systems
    98. 1318.3 Reports. The inspection and testing reports shall be
    99. 1318.4 Initial Piping Blowdown. Piping in medical gas
    100. 1318.5 Initial Pressure Tests – Medical Gas and Vac-uum System…
    101. 1317.4 Components. Functioning of alarm components
    102. 1318.2 Breached Systems. All systems that are breached
    103. 1318.6 Initial Pressure Test - Category 3 Copper PipingSystems…
    104. 1318.7 Initial Leak Test – Category 3 Plastic VacuumPiping Sys…
    105. 1318.8 Cross-Connection Tests – Medical Gas andVacuum Systems.…
    106. 1318.9 Standing Pressure Tests – for Positive Pres-sure Medica…
    107. 1318.10 Standing Pressure Tests – Medical VacuumPiping Systems…
    108. 1318.11 Standing Pressure Tests – for Category 3
    109. 1318.12 Medical Gas Piping System Purge Tests. The
    110. 1318.13 Category 3 Dental Air and Nitrogen Supply
    111. 1318.14 Operational Pressure Test. Operational pressure tests …
    112. 1318.15 Medical Gas Concentration Test. After purging
    113. 1319.2 Certification Tests. Certification tests, verified and
    114. 1319.3 Report Items. A report that includes the specific
    115. 1318.16 System Verification. Verification tests shall be
  14. Chapter 14 — FIRESTOP PROTECTION
  15. Chapter 15 — ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES FOR NONPOTABLE APPLICATIONS
  16. Chapter 16 — NONPOTABLE RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS
  17. Chapter 17 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  18. Appendix A — RECOMMENDED RULES FOR SIZING THE WATER SUPPLY SYS…
  19. Appendix B — EXPLANATORY NOTES ON COMBINATION WASTE AND VENT S…
  20. Appendix C — ALTERNATE PLUMBING SYSTEMS
  21. Appendix D — SIZING STORM WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
  22. Appendix E — MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND RECREATIONAL V…
  23. Appendix F — FIREFIGHTER BREATHING AIR REPLENISHMENT SYSTEMS
  24. Appendix G — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS
  25. Appendix H — PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS
  26. Appendix I — INSTALLATION STANDARD FOR PEX TUBING SYSTEMS FOR …
  27. Appendix J — COMBINATION OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION AND …
  28. Appendix K — POTABLE RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS
  29. Appendix L — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
  30. Appendix M — PEAK WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR

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