Chapter 04-135

2004 -- S 2747 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED

Enacted 06/23/04

A N A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PLUMBERS AND IRRIGATORS

Introduced By: Senators Connors, Badeau, and McBurney

Date Introduced: February 11, 2004

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 5-20-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-20 entitled "Plumbers and

Irrigators" is hereby amended to read as follows:

5-20-2. "Plumbing" and "source of water" defined. -- (a) The term "plumbing", as

used in this chapter, means:

      (1) All fittings, fixtures, appliances, and connections, connecting which are located

within a building or a structure, or within five (5) feet of the outer walls of a building or structure

and which connect said building or premises structure, where a person or persons, live, work, or

assemble, with the source of public or private water supply used or intended for domestic or

personal use, as well as any interconnecting piping between buildings or structures;

      (2) All piping, fittings, fixtures, and appliances for a sanitary drainage and related

ventilation system, direct or indirect, within that building; and

      (3) Air piping, medical and laboratory gas systems, including but not limited to oxygen

and nitrous oxide.

      (b) The term "source of private water supply" means the water connection located at the

mean water level.

      (c) The term "source of public water supply" means the any water connection located at

the curb line of any actual or platted public highway within five (5) feet of the outer walls of or

within a building or structure, including any interconnecting piping between buildings or

structures.

     SECTION 2. Section 28-27-28 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-27 entitled

"Mechanical Trades" is hereby amended to read as follows:

28-27-28. Practices for which a license is required. -- (a) A license is required for the

installation, repair, replacement, servicing, maintenance, and alteration of:

      (1) Any devices or accessories for what is normally considered heating/cooling

equipment, air distribution equipment, duct work, process piping, power piping, pipefitting, and

fire protection sprinkler with no reference to the plumbing industry.

      (2) Vacuum and pneumatic systems, oil and petroleum products, ice making machinery,

refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and piping systems used for the conveyance and

storage of liquids, solids, and industrial type gases as per section 28-27-1, and vacuum piping

used for domestic vacuum cleaning systems and natural or manufactured gas piping used for

emergency electric generators. Heating piping system does not mean or include, and nothing in

the regulation shall be held or construed to have any application to, the installation or servicing as

detailed of factory manufactured domestic plug-in units or other package assemblies not requiring

special wiring over and above the normal #5 AWG wire used in domestic two hundred twenty

(220) volt household duplex receptacles for sixteen (16) AMP branch circuits with two (2) or

three (3) outlets, field hook up or checking by qualified licensed pipefitters/refrigeration

technicians. "Servicing" as defined for these units means the seasonal filter changes or general

cleaning, and shall be made obvious to the consumer by clearly printing on the work order or bills

that the consumer is not paying for state licensed masters or journeypersons doing mechanical

service work. Commercial applications of domestic units shall be regulated pursuant to section

28-27-1.

      (b) A license is required for any of the following work when, and only when, carried out

within a building or structure, or within five (5) feet of the outer wall of a building or structure:

the installation, repair, replacement, alteration, or maintenance of fire protection apparatus within

a structure, standpipes which are not connected to sprinkler systems, also including the layout,

onsite fabrication, installation, alteration, or repair of any automatic or manual sprinkler system

designed for the protection of the interior or exterior of a building or structure from fire, also any

piping or tubing and appurtenances and equipment pertaining to the system including overhead

and underground water mains, fire hydrants and hydrant mains, standpipes and hose connections

to sprinkler systems, sprinkler tank heaters, air lines and thermal systems used in connection with

sprinkler and alarm systems, or special hazard systems including water sprays, foam, carbon

dioxide or dry chemical systems, halon and other liquid or gas fire suppression systems, and

excluding any engineering design work connected with the layout of fire protection sprinkler

systems.

      (c) A license is required for sheet metal work, which is defined as the manufacturing,

fabrication, assembling, handling, erection, installation, dismantling, conditioning, adjustment,

alteration, repairing and servicing of all ferrous or nonferrous metal work and all other materials

in lieu thereof and air-handling systems regardless of the material used, including specifically: the

handling, fabrication, setting, installation, assembling, dismantling, adjustment, alteration,

reconditioning, repairing of all duct work, installation of fans, sheaves, belt guards, dampers,

louvers, screens, registers, grills, diffusers, sound traps, attenuators, mixing boxes, access doors to

air-handling systems, breaching, hoods and all appurtenances relating to HVAC and exhaust

systems and the testing, adjusting and balancing of all air-handling equipment and duct work.

Holder of the NEBB (National Environmental Balancing Bureau), AABC (Associated Air

Balancing Council) or a TABB (Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau) certificate are exempt

for the purposes of testing and balancing HVAC systems.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC02597/SUB A

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