ARLINGTON, Va. — The International Mechanical Code (IMC) has approved a code change proposal from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) Chilled Beam Product Section to remove the requirement for condensate drains for certain chilled beam designs. The change will be implemented in the 2015 version of the IMC.

“It is important that contractors and inspectors are aware of this change,” said Stephen Yurek, AHRI president and CEO. “The code now includes an exception to Section 307.2 for dry evaporators or cooling coils, which are designed to operate in sensible cooling only and are not designed to support condensation.”

AHRI’s proposal noted that the previous code required condensate drains for equipment, and was not suited for dry coils, which are utilized in most chilled beam designs. AHRI said chilled beam products with dry coils have been operating successfully around the world for 25 years and condensation prevention strategies are already employed as part of the design of chilled beam systems.