Several questions about Section 304 regarding installation where required in the 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC) are raised and answered:

Q: Does the requirement for elevating appliances in garages include dryers?

Q: A parking garage below an I-1assisted-living facility has 19 parking spaces for use by the residents of the building. In determining the minimum height of a suspended unit heater, is this parking garage considered public or private?

Q: Does the code require exterior mechanical equipment to be elevated with supports or legs to maintain a clearance of 6 inches to grade even when the equipment is on a concrete slab that extends above grade?

Q: There is mechanical equipment located approximately 6 feet from the edge of the roof on a one-story commercial building. Section 304.11 requires guards to be installed on the roof if the equipment is located within 10 feet of a roof edge. A building owner wishes to install a safety harness for workmen in lieu of the guard. Is this acceptable?

Q: Do the guard requirements in Sections 304.11 and 306.5.1 apply to solar panels that are attached to roofs?

Q: We are placing a commercial kitchen hood exhaust fan on a roof. The fan will be within 10 feet of the roof edge. There will be no normal servicing of the fan (filter changing, adjusting). Filter cleaning or replacement will be accomplished from within the kitchen. Obviously, if the fan breaks down it will have to be repaired, but is that considered servicing as intended by Section 304.11? Is a guard required along the roof edge?

Q: A building with a flat roof has a roof hatch for access to the roof-mounted mechanical equipment. The roof elevation at the hatch is approximately 9 feet above the floor below. The roof hatch is more than 10 feet from the edge of the roof. Is the intent of the code to require guards on the open side of roof hatches when either the hatch is within 10 feet of the roof edge or the hatch is more than 30 inches above the floor?

Q: Must a 42-inch high guard be installed on the top of an 8-foot by 12-foot coffee kiosk that is equipped with a roof top-mounted (RV-type) air conditioner/heating unit? The unit is already screened in with a 25-inch-high metal canopy that is bolted to the building. The addition of a guard would create hazards due to the limited work space.

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