CHAPTER VI. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTIONCHAPTER VI. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION\ARTICLE 8. AIR CONDITIONING

For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall be construed to have the following meanings:

(a)   “Air Conditioning System” as used in this article shall include any combination of equipment using city water to carry off, reduce or remove heat in any air cooling or refrigerating system, of a rated cooling capacity of over two tons per hour or over two horsepower capacity.

(b)   “System” shall mean any combination of apparatus, individual units, groups or collection of units supplied with city water through any customer’s water service pipe connected to the public water system.

(c)   “Owner” shall mean and include any person, partnership, corporation or association owning or having control over such air conditioning, cooling or refrigerating system and with respect to any penalty, the term owner as applied to partnerships or associations shall mean the partners or members thereof, and as applied to corporations, the officers thereof.

(d)   “Superintendent” shall mean and refer to the city water-sewage superintendent of the city or such city official as shall be duly delegated by the city manager to act in enforcing these regulations, as hereinafter provided.

(e)   “Inspector” shall refer to the city’s building, plumbing, sewer and electrical inspector.

(Code 1976, 6-801)

No person shall construct or install any air conditioning system of a capacity as defined herein, by the use of city supplied water, and which drains into part of the city’s sanitary sewers, which is not equipped with a water conservation recirculation device or system for the reuse of city water necessary in the operation of such system as provided herein; provided, that present existing systems of air conditioning using city water and connected with the city sewer system, except the type prohibited by section 6-808 hereof, may continue operation of the same under valid permits as provided in section 6-803 hereof, notwithstanding such systems may not be equipped with a water conservation recirculating device.

(Code 1976, 6-802)

No person shall either install or operate any type of air conditioning system of the type defined in subsection (a) of section 6-801 of this article, without first having obtained a permit, and the operators or owners of present existing systems of air conditioning shall obtain such permit on or before June 1, 1956. The operation of any such system after such date, without first having obtained such permit, shall be deemed a violation of this article.

(R.O. 1971, 6-803)

Application for a permit shall be made to the water superintendent and shall contain the following information:

(a)   Name and address of the applicant;

(b)   Location of premises where the installation is proposed;

(c)   Name and address of the owner of the premises;

(d)   Trade name and manufacturer’s name of the units to be used;

(e)   Manufacturer’s classification of the unit to be used as to rated maximum refrigerative capacity of the unit or unit’s type;

(f)   Horsepower of the compressor or prime mover, if the unit is compressor

(g)   Notation as to whether water conservation devices are provided;

(h)   Classification and size or capacity of the conservation equipment;

(i)    Where requested by the water superintendent or the city inspector, detailed elevation and plans showing arrangement and details of all points of connection to the building, to the city water system and waste or sewers hall be provided;

(j)    Such additional information as may be requested by the superintendent or the city inspector;

(k)   Signature of the applicant and designation of the plumber, electrician and building contractor.

(R.O. 1971, 6-804)

The fee for each air conditioning system permit shall be paid at the time of application for the permit. The fee shall cover one inspection of the installation. For each additional inspection required because of nonconforming work or because of a premature request for inspection, an additional charge shall be made of $1. The fee for the original inspection shall be as follows:

(a)   Up to eight tons or eight horsepower - $2;

(b)   All over eight tons or eight horsepower - $3. No renewal permit shall be required unless the plumbing or wiring of the original system is change.

(R.O. 1971, 6-805)

Before any permit shall be approved and issued for any new air conditioning or refrigeration system when using city water, the city inspector shall satisfy himself or herself that the following conditions have been met:

(a)   All air conditioning systems covered by this article shall be regulated in the quantity of city water allowed for evaporation and flushing by an automatic ball cock valve or regulatory device with an air gap between the potable water inlet and overflow of at least three inches and shall be approved by the city inspector before use.

(b)   Only licensed, qualified plumbers and electricians shall be permitted to make the respective installations on air conditioning equipment or devices as a matter of public safety for the protection of the public water supply and prevention of fire hazards from improper electrical installations.

(R.O. 1971, 6-806)

All air conditioning equipment installed outside the corporate limits of the city or in the City of North Newton, but attached to the water supply and sewage system furnished by the city, shall also be required to obtain a permit from the city the same as all other persons within the city.

(R.O. 1971, 6-807)

No owner shall operate any system or device for air conditioning’ or cooling that relies upon city water flowing through coils to cool an air current, where such coils have either unrestricted or controlled outflow of such city water, unless such outflow shall be utilized for irrigation of gardens, or lawns upon the premises of such water user.

(R.O. 1971, 6-808)

Any air conditioning system which can utilize all its waste water for the irrigation of lawns or gardens on the premises of the owners, where such waste water is not permitted to flow into any street or alley, shall be exempt.

(R.O. 1971, 6-809)

The water superintendent, with the approval of the city manager, shall have authority to order the restricting or discontinuance of the use of water in air conditioning systems, when occasion arises where he or she deems it necessary to restrict or discontinue such use for public safety and welfare.

(R.O. 1971, 6-810)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in any sum not exceeding $100, and each separate day such violation continues, shall constitute a separate offense.

(R.O. 1971, 6-811)