# under 903.1.3 "ABS or PVC installations are limited to not more than two stories of areas of residential accomodation."



## gojrod (Sep 10, 2021)

I don’t understand what this means. I’m a board member of 3 story condo complex. We from time to time need to make a simple 6” cast iron repair. We would like to just no hub in ABS to the existing cast iron. Does this code prevent that. Is the code saying the TOTAL area can’t exceed two stories? Meaning the third story has to be cast iron? Or if the first story is galvanized it’s then ok for the other two to be ABS? They don’t want the total areas of ABS to exceed two stories OF AREA. So replacing small sections of a three story building is ok!? We would Not be exceeding 2/3 of the building to be ABS…Please help me clarify. And what is the intent of the law?
Thank you.


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## Beniah Naylor (Sep 10, 2021)

What book are you in? Uniform Plumbing Code? What year?


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## cda (Sep 10, 2021)

Beniah Naylor said:


> What book are you in? Uniform Plumbing Code? What year?


  Maybe :::










						California Plumbing Code 2019 based on the UPC 2018
					

UpCodes offers a consolidated resource of construction and building code grouped by jurisdiction




					up.codes


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## Beniah Naylor (Sep 10, 2021)

Ah... California...

Can't help you, I have no idea why Californians do what they do, unless it comes from the Uniform Codes. 

I think those of us who use the International Plumbing Code are in the minority anyway, lol.


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## cda (Sep 10, 2021)

gojrod said:


> I don’t understand what this means. I’m a board member of 3 story condo complex. We from time to time need to make a simple 6” cast iron repair. We would like to just no hub in ABS to the existing cast iron. Does this code prevent that. Is the code saying the TOTAL area can’t exceed two stories? Meaning the third story has to be cast iron? Or if the first story is galvanized it’s then ok for the other two to be ABS? They don’t want the total areas of ABS to exceed two stories OF AREA. So replacing small sections of a three story building is ok!? We would Not be exceeding 2/3 of the building to be ABS…Please help me clarify. And what is the intent of the law?
> Thank you.




if this is your code, Does it say this???

903.1.1 [HCD 1 & HCD 2]ABS or PVC installations
are limited to not more than two stories of areas of resi-
dential accommodation.
9

*903.1.3*

_*[OSHPD 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5]* ABS and PVC installations are not allowed._


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## cda (Sep 10, 2021)

A little old info::






						cast or ABS?
					

hey all it's been a while-  2010 CBC, based on the 2009 UPC.  i have a 3 story apartment house.  under 903.1.3 "ABS  or PVC installations are limited to not more than two stories of areas of residential accomodation."  plumber is proposing to use ABS for the first two stories, then cast for the...



					www.thebuildingcodeforum.com
				





A little more info::






						Cast Iron Drain line in apartment building CA.
					

Hi All! Im trying to find out if it is legal (by code) to replace exposed lateral cast iron drain lines with CPVC or ABS in an apartment building in Southern California. Someone told me that the first 2 floors of a condo or apartment building used to have to be cast iron. I see through internet...



					www.thebuildingcodeforum.com


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## steveray (Sep 10, 2021)

Massachusetts is very similar in their antiquated plumbing code....Keeps the unions in business...


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## Joe.B (Sep 10, 2021)

There's more to it than that. Yes the CA plumbing code is based off of the Uniform Plumbing Code and it is more restrictive than IPC. No AAV's allowed, dishwasher air-gap required, and yes, not more than two stories of plastic plumbing. I've heard various theoretical reasons for this, a wood framed building will settle as it "dries-out" during construction causing plastic pipes to crack, or possibly because of noise, and yes some people believe it's the unions. I don't know the reason but to answer the OP if you have three stories one needs to be cast iron, probably better if it was the first floor.


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## cda (Sep 10, 2021)

Joe.B said:


> There's more to it than that. Yes the CA plumbing code is based off of the Uniform Plumbing Code and it is more restrictive than IPC. No AAV's allowed, dishwasher air-gap required, and yes, not more than two stories of plastic plumbing. I've heard various theoretical reasons for this, a wood framed building will settle as it "dries-out" during construction causing plastic pipes to crack, or possibly because of noise, and yes some people believe it's the unions. I don't know the reason but to answer the OP if you have three stories one needs to be cast iron, probably better if it was the first floor.




So if it was a five story building , the 2nd floor could be plastic, and the 4th floor could be plastic, but all others would be required to be cast iron????


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## Joe.B (Sep 10, 2021)

cda said:


> So if it was a five story building , the 2nd floor could be plastic, and the 4th floor could be plastic, but all others would be required to be cast iron????


I guess technically that would be compliant, but a poor design choice. This came up on a 4 story apartment building that is currently under construction in my town and for the plan check they showed cast iron for the first two floors and pvc for the top two. During construction they elected to do the first three floors cast iron and only the top floor pvc. They chose this because in many of their other buildings they get a lot of complaints from everybody who's not on the top floor about the noise from the plumbing. With everything cast iron below the top floor it should be much more pleasant for the occupants.


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## ADAguy (Sep 15, 2021)

Good stuff gang


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