Chowchilla Municipal Code Ch. 13.08 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

A. "Air conditioning system" means an installation for maintenance of temperatures which are not less than sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Evaporative coolers are included in this classification.

B. "Air conditioning systems and refrigeration systems" means any combination of equipment, whether compressor or other type, by which heat is removed from or added to the air and from which the accumulated heat is wholly or partially removed or added to by the use of water.

C. "Dry well" means a drainage installation for an air conditioning, refrigeration or precooling system only, and shall be of sufficient diameter and depth so as to provide adequate volume for the efficient disposal of the discharged water from such system in a safe and sanitary manner.

D. "Precooling system" means an installation where water is used through a heat exchanger to add or remove heat to air, to a product or a machine either as a separate system or as a part of an air conditioning or refrigeration installation.

E. "Refrigeration system" means an installation for maintenance, by heat removal, of temperatures which are less than sixty degrees Fahrenheit.

F. "System" means any combination of apparatus, individual units, group or collection of units supplied with water through any single customer service pipes connected to the public water system or water from other sources.

(Prior code § 22-28)

The regulations contained in this chapter shall apply to all water-cooled equipment installed for the reducing or increasing the dry-bulb temperature or decreasing the absolute humidity of air, whether for comfort air conditioning, refrigeration, processing or whatever other purpose.

(Prior code § 22-29)

No person shall install or replace any equipment unit for air conditioning or refrigeration, except evaporative coolers, which require a supply of water from the city water system or from other sources, without first submitting a written application to the city water department and obtaining a permit from the city plumbing inspection department. No temporary permit shall be issued for any type of air conditioning or refrigeration system.

(Prior code § 22-30)

An application for a permit required by this chapter, signed by the owner, tenant, agent or installer, such shall provide the following information:

A. The name and address of the applicant;

B. The location of the premises where installation is proposed;

C. The name and address of the owner or tenant of the premises;

D. The name of the manufacturer of the units requiring water and the manufacturer's rating of maximum refrigerative capacity of the unit under the conditions of the planned installation. The rating may be stated in tons per hour, in Btu per hour, or cubic feet per minute;

E. Where water conservation devices are required, the additional information to be furnished shall be the manufacturer's name, the identification, classification and size of the conservation equipment, the size of the water service connection and all other information as may be required by the department approving the installation.

(Prior code § 22-31)

All air conditioning and refrigeration units and systems using water from the city water system and from other sources shall be registered with the city water department within ninety days from June 30, 1962. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner, tenant or agent of such property to register all units or systems as referred to in this chapter and installed in or on such property at the address as shown on the city water department records for water service.

(Prior code § 22-32)

No person shall falsify data required by this chapter to be supplied to the city water department.

(Prior code § 23-33)

Charges under this chapter shall be as follows:

A. The charge for all air conditioning and refrigeration units installed and not equipped with water-saving devices and operating on flat-rate service shall be fifteen dollars per year per ton at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents per month per ton inside the city limits and sixty-six dollars per year per ton at the rate of three dollars per month per ton outside the city limits.

B. The charge for all air conditioning and refrigeration units inside the city limits installed and discharging water into a dry well and operated on a flat-rate service shall be nine dollars per year per ton at the rate of seventy-five cents per month per ton.

C. The charge for air conditioning and refrigeration units, excepting window and room-type coolers, installed and equipped with water-saving devices approved by the city water department, excluding dry wells, shall be three dollars per year per ton at the rate of twenty-five cents per month per ton inside the city limits and six dollars per year per ton at the rate of fifty cents per ton outside the city limits.

D. The charge for each evaporative cooler of eighteen hundred cfm and over, installed and not equipped with recirculating pump, shall be three dollars per year per cooler at the rate of twenty-five cents per month inside the city limits and six dollars per year per cooler at the rate of fifty cents per month outside the city limits.

E. No additional annual or monthly charge shall be made for air conditioning, refrigeration or evaporative units when operated from metered service.

F. No charge shall be made for evaporative coolers when equipped with water recirculating pumps.

(Prior code § 22-34)

For the purpose of regulating the use of water and conservation of the same, installations and maintenance of all air conditioning and refrigeration equipment shall conform to the following requirements:

A. Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, all individual or collective systems of refrigeration equipment, air conditioning equipment or refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, including replacement of existing equipment, of over three-ton capacity installed and discharging water into the city sewer system, shall be equipped with a water conserving device such as an economizer, evaporative condenser, water cooling tower or similar apparatus, which device shall not consume water for makeup purposes in excess of ten percent of the consumption that would normally be used without such device. The water charge for such equipment shall be as established in Section 13.08.070.

B. All installations of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment as provided by this chapter may discharge water into a dry well in lieu of discharging water into the city sewerage system. The water charge for such equipment discharging water into a dry well shall be as established in Section 13.08.070.

C. All refrigerated window or room-type coolers of two tons capacity or smaller installed shall have air-cooled condensing equipment, except commercial or metered installations.

D. No person shall install or replace on one system or at one address any evaporative cooler or collection of coolers with a total capacity of more than eighteen hundred cubic feet of air per minute unless such installation is equipped with a water recirculating device. Such devices shall be properly maintained at all times. The installation of recirculating devices shall apply to all premises within or located outside of the city and connected to the city water system operated by the city water department.

E. No person within the city shall sell any evaporative cooler designed to deliver more than eighteen hundred cubic feet of air per minute which will use water from the city water system operated by the city water department, unless such cooler is, when sold and delivered, equipped with a water recirculating device.

F. The head of the city water department and persons designated by him shall at all reasonable hours have free access to premises supplied with water for air conditioning and refrigeration purposes, to examine the equipment and to ascertain if there is a waste of water or more water being used than allowed by this chapter.

(Prior code § 22-35)

Sanitation requirements for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment are as follows:

A. Discharge or disposal of wastewaters shall be in accordance with applicable rules and regulations of state and local health regulatory bodies.

B. Cooling waters which are to be reused for other purposes shall be provided with free, above-the-trim discharge before entering other equipment, unless permission shall be obtained in writing from the city plumbing inspector approving the proposed connections and use.

C. Refrigeration or cooling coils shall be installed in such manner and in such location so that the condensate drainage from such units may be maintained at all times in a sanitary condition and not become a hazard to existing property, structures, public health or safety. All condenser, precooling wastewater and evaporative-cooler drainage installations shall be approved by the city plumbing inspector.

D. On installations other than those described in this section, there shall be an open break between the public water supply and the discharge piping of the installation, and such piping shall be so arranged so as to make impossible back siphonage to the public water supply system.

E. Make-up water connections to a water conservation device shall be so arranged that the supply has an open break between the city water main or service and such device, so that it shall be impossible for water to siphon back when subject to partial vacuum or any other condition or method of operation whatsoever.

(Prior code § 22-36)

If alterations, changes in equipment or piping, improper operation or lack of maintenance result in conditions that are hazardous to the potable water supply, either within the premises or in supply mains, or cause use of water in excess of quantities permitted under this chapter, the head of the water department shall discontinue the supply of water to the premises until such conditions are abated or until such water conservation devices as specified in this chapter are installed and placed in efficient operation on such equipment.

(Prior code § 22-37)

The city administrator or authorized representative shall enforce all ordinances of the city and all statutes of the state pertaining or relating to water use restrictions and other tasks related to water control. The city administrator or authorized representatives are hereby authorized to make arrests for violations thereof in the manner provided by California Penal Code Section 836.5.

(Ord. 279-77 § 5, 1977: prior code § 22-38)