City of Hackensack, NJ Chapter 132 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning [1]

[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Hackensack 6-20-1955 as Ord. No. 586; amended and revised 10-5-1959 (Ord. No. 717) as Ch. 5, Article XVII, of the 1959 Revised Ordinances. Sections 132-2, 132-3A, 132-4, 132-6A and B, 132-9A, 132-10B and 132-11 amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Article I. Other amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Building construction — See Ch. 70.

Heating and hot water — See Ch. 98.

Housing — See Ch. 100.

Plumbing — See Ch. 123.

Sewers — See Ch. 141.

[1] Editor's Note: See also the BOCA Basic Mechanical Code adopted by Ch. 70, Building Construction, § 70-12C.

§ 132-1 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

AIR CONDITIONING

That equipment used primarily for human comfort cooling and shall be considered on the basis that one compressor motor horsepower is equal to one ton of refrigeration.

§ 132-2 Permit required.

No new installation of refrigeration, air-conditioning or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment requiring the use of water, howsoever and from wheresoever supplied or derived, shall be installed on any premises until a permit authorizing such installation has been issued by the Department of Building, Housing and Land Use.

§ 132-3 Applications for permits.

A. Application shall be made on forms furnished by the Department of Building, Housing and Land Use for permits for the installation of refrigeration, air-conditioning or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment and shall, in addition to the information required by § 107-6B of Chapter 107, Licenses and Permits, specify the following information:

(1) Location of the premises where the installation is proposed.

(2) Location of the proposed installation within the premises.

(3) Type of building (masonry or frame) wherein the equipment is to be installed.

(4) Name and address of the owners and tenants of the premises.

(5) Name of manufacturer of the units to be installed.

(6) Type of equipment, including manufacturer's identification and classification of the refrigeration or air-conditioning units.

(7) Manufacturer's rating of maximum refrigerative capacity of the unit or units under the conditions of the planned installation. Rating may be stated in tons per 24 hours or in British thermal units per hour.

(8) Horsepower of compressor prime mover, if the unit is of compressor type.

(9) Where water conservation devices are required [three tons or over], the manufacturer's name, identification, classification and size of the conservation equipment.

(10) A plan showing the piping system of the unit shall be attached to each application, which plan shall clearly show the disposition of the cooling water as well as its source.

(11) If diffusion well or wells are to be used, a plot plan showing the location of both producing and diffusion wells, together with a detail of the entire piping system, and a certification that a permit for the well or wells has been obtained from the Health Department.

B. For the purpose of the supplying of the aforesaid information, the rated capacity in tons shall be determined in accordance with the following method:

(1) Total maximum British thermal units per hour of capacity of the installation divided by 12,000; or

(2) The nameplate horsepower of any compressor prime mover unit; or

(3) Two-thirds of the nameplate horsepower of the figure for Subsection B(2) above for any refrigeration installation.

C. In the absence of the required manufacturer's maximum rating in the application, the Plumbing Inspector may specify the tonnage of the installation at the ratings indicated by Subsection B(l), (2) or (3) above, or if these appear inadequate, then by whatever other measure of capacity appears to him to be proper.

D. Application shall be signed by the owner of the premises where the installation is proposed or by the tenant with the written permission of the owner, and application shall designate a plumber duly qualified to receive permits under appropriate ordinances of the City of Hackensack[1] and the name of the party installing the unit.

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 123, Plumbing.

E. An approved copy of the application shall be returned to the applicant to serve as the permit.

§ 132-4 Permit fees.

The fee for the permit required by this chapter shall be as set forth in Chapter 107, Licenses and Permits.

§ 132-5 Specifications and ratings; equipment using gas.

A. Equipment used for a purpose other than air conditioning, as defined in § 132-1 of this chapter, shall be considered on the basis that one compressor motor horsepower is equal to 0.6 ton of refrigeration.

B. Refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment using gas for energy shall be rated on the basis that one ton is equal to the removal of 12,000 British thermal units per hour with an evaporating temperature of 5° F. and a condensing temperature of 86° F.

§ 132-6 New installations: specifications.

All new installations of any individual or collective system of refrigeration equipment, air-conditioning equipment or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment in any premises for a single consumer shall be installed under the following specifications:

A. All new installations of any individual or collective system of refrigeration equipment, air-conditioning equipment or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment of three tons and over shall be equipped with a water conserving device approved by the Department of Building, Housing and Land Use, such as an economizer evaporative condenser, water cooling tower or similar apparatus, which device shall not consume for makeup purposes in excess of 5% of the consumption of water that would normally be used without such device, except as provided in § 132-10 hereof.

B. All new installations of refrigeration equipment, air-conditioning equipment or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment under three tons, not using recirculated water, shall be provided with an automatic water supply regulating device approved by the Department of Building, Housing and Land Use, so as to limit the flow of water in relation to the condenser temperature reduction requirements of the apparatus. In no case shall the equipment use in excess of one gallon per minute per ton capacity.

C. If two or more units which in the aggregate total three or more tons are installed to serve the same building or premises, said units shall be subject to the same requirements applicable to a unit of equipment of three tons or more as in this chapter provided.

§ 132-7 Vacuum breakers.

Each direct water connection to a refrigeration unit, air-conditioning unit or refrigeration and air-conditioning unit using water for cooling purposes and which is connected with the potable water system shall be equipped with a vacuum breaker, except in installations where the water supply pipe has no contact with the refrigerant, which will be the case where two substantial and independent wall thicknesses of metal separate the refrigerant from the potable water system.

§ 132-8 Relief valves.

Refrigerating units, air-conditioning units or refrigerating and air-conditioning units with a capacity of more than 20 pounds of refrigerant shall be provided with a relief valve installed on the outlet side of the vacuum breaker of the water supply connection, such relief valve being set at five pounds above the maximum water pressure at the point of installation.

§ 132-9 Existing installations: specifications.

A. All existing installations of refrigeration, air-conditioning or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment installed on any premises, requiring the use of water, howsoever and from wheresoever supplied or derived, shall be subject to the rules and regulations prescribed in this chapter and shall comply with the requirements of this chapter in the same manner as new installations.

B. The owner or person or corporation in possession of any premises upon which refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment requiring the use of water is already installed shall make application and obtain a permit for the existing installation; said application shall contain the same information as in the case of a new installation.

§ 132-10 Ground diffusion devices.

A. All installations of any individual or collective system of refrigeration, air-conditioning or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment of three tons and over shall be equipped with a water conserving device as provided in § 132-6A of this chapter.

B. However, with the advice of the Plumbing Inspector, the Building, Housing and Land Use Department may grant permission for a diffusion device which will return the water in a pure and uncontaminated condition, without loss or waste, back into the ground instead of the device required under § 132-6A. If permission is granted for such a diffusion device, it will be the responsibility of the property owner, tenant or other legal occupant of the premises serviced by such system of refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment to ensure that no water is wasted or contaminated thereby.

C. It is the declared intent of this section that no diffusion well or recharge basin shall be permitted unless it is assured that all water used in such refrigeration or air-conditioning system will be effectively returned in a pure and uncontaminated condition after use to the subterranean sources from which the said water is obtained. No connection to storm or sanitary sewer shall be permitted under this section.

§ 132-11 Connections with sanitary sewer.

No air-conditioning or refrigerating unit employing water in its operation shall discharge such water into the sanitary sewage system except upon application to and approval by the Plumbing Inspector. No discharge into a sanitary sewer or into any combined sanitary and storm sewer shall be allowed if it is feasible to discharge said water into an accessible storm sewer, nor shall any discharge of water be permitted at the curb or upon the surface of any street.