# International Mechanical Code



## mke_sjel (Mar 22, 2011)

For those who have taken the HVAC Depth, Did you need the IMC? For those of you who are taking the exam are you taking it with?

Thanks,


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## painter0121 (Mar 22, 2011)

I am taking the HVAC course and wondering if this is nesscary as well. I am taking a review course at UNCC. During the HVAC section of the review course he recommended bring the North Carolina Building code (based of IMC). Hopefully someone with some insight chimes in soon, otherwise if will be taking the office copy.


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## cydcarter (Mar 23, 2011)

mke_sjel said:


> For those who have taken the HVAC Depth, Did you need the IMC? For those of you who are taking the exam are you taking it with?
> Thanks,


I brought a few codes (references are unlimited in GA) and ended up looking up one question. My educated guess was vindicated. Like it was posted in another thread over here somewhere, the codes won't make or break the exam, but they can provide a free point or two. And since codes constantly change, I doubt NCEES expects you to know the CFM/person in a theather or minimum efficiency rating of a water source heat pump. However, they might ask about a definition or premise of a code (minimum ventiliation is based on occupancy and off-gassing of typical materials in space, or factors involved in calculating SEER).

The codes I brought were (all company property that I borrowed for a day):

ASHRAE 55

ASHRAE 62.1

ASHRAE 90.1

IMC

A few NFPA codes

A few ARI standards

Again, most of those never saw daylight.


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## mke_sjel (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the information. I have copies of ASHRAE 55, 62.1 and 90.1. However we use a online version of the IMC, so I think that I'm just going to go without.


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## goodal (Mar 26, 2011)

Its been two years since I tested but I thought it said somewhere that you wont be asked code related questions. I didn't take any building codes and did just fine.


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## MadDawg (Mar 26, 2011)

badal said:


> Its been two years since I tested but I thought it said somewhere that you wont be asked code related questions. I didn't take any building codes and did just fine.



I think it's actually more like they can ask code questions, but they will give you the appropriate section to make your own (hopefully correct) interpretation.


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## HerrKaLeun (Mar 26, 2011)

painter0121 said:


> I am taking the HVAC course and wondering if this is nesscary as well. I am taking a review course at UNCC. During the HVAC section of the review course he recommended bring the North Carolina Building code (based of IMC). Hopefully someone with some insight chimes in soon, otherwise if will be taking the office copy.


You won't need any local codes. The test is the same in all states. Only codes applicable to the entire country will be needed. Besides IMC, the ASHRAE guidelines mentioned here will be useful. There are very very few code questions (I passed HVAC last October). Look at the sample tests and questions and you get an idea what is needed. If your test teacher is so "knowledgeable" on the test - good luck! You'll need it 

This forum is better than any course you can purchase.

If the north Carolina code is based on IMC (like most codes) it won't mention anything in IMC. It will say "all in IMC but paragraph bla bla bla". It only will mention what is different than IMC, which won't help you. Since the test will refer to IMC, any local code won't have any useful information. All local codes require you to purchase the international code they are based on (just for copyright reasons, states are not reprinting IMC in their code)


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## mke_sjel (Mar 28, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. I just don’t think that it is worth me purchasing an IMC for the test. I could be wrong, but I’ll live with it.

I’m really starting to hate the ASHRAE books though. It seems like going from fundamentals 2005 to 2009 there were a lot of chapter changes. So when I’m working the practice tests I can’t find the sources for the answer. I just hope that the test references 2009 and not 2005.


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## cydcarter (Mar 28, 2011)

mke_sjel said:


> Thanks for the replies. I just don’t think that it is worth me purchasing an IMC for the test. I could be wrong, but I’ll live with it.
> I’m really starting to hate the ASHRAE books though. It seems like going from fundamentals 2005 to 2009 there were a lot of chapter changes. So when I’m working the practice tests I can’t find the sources for the answer. I just hope that the test references 2009 and not 2005.


I would spend an hour sometime soon tabbing references on topics you think you've encountered often on your pracitice problems/exams. Need R-values? Find the table in the resources and tab it. Need refrigerant charts? Find it in the resources and tab it. Need thermal expansion coeffecients, outdoor air requirements, that complex transfer equation, etc? Find and tab it.

Don't tab/label every other page, but definitely tab important chapters or tables/charts/equations. Make sure you get practice using the tabs as well - it doesn't help if you have to read every tab to see if you tabbed something in particular.

Like it was said earlier, no question is version specific - whether it is a year or a new edition. The information from each edition really is mostly the same, just a different presentation. If I were you, I'd use the version you are most comfortable with.


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## mke_sjel (Mar 28, 2011)

Thanks for the tips. I have been tabbing things as I go. My wife took the PE a few years ago and recommended that I create a binder with the information that I’ve seen multiple times in the practice exams. An example is I have a page for friction flow in pipes. I’m finding that it is faster then locating a tab in the MERM or ASHRAE and covers about 50-60% of the practice tests.

Thanks again


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## HerrKaLeun (Mar 30, 2011)

mke_sjel said:


> Thanks for the replies. I just don’t think that it is worth me purchasing an IMC for the test. I could be wrong, but I’ll live with it.
> I’m really starting to hate the ASHRAE books though. It seems like going from fundamentals 2005 to 2009 there were a lot of chapter changes. So when I’m working the practice tests I can’t find the sources for the answer. I just hope that the test references 2009 and not 2005.


Don't you have one at work? If not, I wonder about your experience requirements.

You may or may not pass without having a copy of IMC... so it is up to you to evaluate the risk of paying for another test. I think you can do 955 of the questions without the code books. but if the 5% is your cutoff?????

I was fortunate enough to have all codes etc. at work incl. ASHRAE books and guidelines. Depending on where you work, a department might have them.


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## cydcarter (Mar 30, 2011)

HerrKaLeun said:


> Don't you have one at work? If not, I wonder about your experience requirements.


In his(or her?) defense, my company has the most common codes for us on a website which allows us 24/7 access. We can view older and newer versions of each code instead of hauling multiple books around. The biggest downside to this setup is printing a copy, which I don't think is allowed since it would be reproducing copyrighted material without permission.

If his/her company only has one set of code books, it can still be a setback since the exam is on a Friday (a business day where coworkers might actually need access to their one copy).

I, like you, were fortunate and there were a few copies of older codes in our library that I brought along.


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## HerrKaLeun (Mar 30, 2011)

cydcarter said:


> In his(or her?) defense, my company has the most common codes for us on a website which allows us 24/7 access. We can view older and newer versions of each code instead of hauling multiple books around. The biggest downside to this setup is printing a copy, which I don't think is allowed since it would be reproducing copyrighted material without permission.
> If his/her company only has one set of code books, it can still be a setback since the exam is on a Friday (a business day where coworkers might actually need access to their one copy).
> 
> I, like you, were fortunate and there were a few copies of older codes in our library that I brought along.


Good point, the copyright might be an issue in an exam. ASHRAE also offers the guidelines online for being up to date....

We only have one set of code books, but I'm the only one really using them for the most part and if someone needs it ont he Friday of the exam, there still is Monday


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