C404.2 Service water-heating equipment performance efficiency. Water-heating equipment and hot water storage tanks shall meet the requirements of Table C404.2. The efficiency shall be verified through certification and listed under an approved certification program, or if no certification program exists, the equipment efficiency ratings shall be supported by data furnished by the manufacturer. Water-heating equipment intended to be used to provide space heating shall meet the applicable provisions of Table C404.2.
C404.2.1 Service water heating system type. Service hot water shall be provided by an electric air-source heat pump water heating (HPWH) system meeting the requirements of this section. Supplemental service water heating equipment is permitted to use electric resistance or fossil fuel in compliance with Section C404.2.1.4.
EXCEPTIONS: | 1. 24 kW plus 0.1 watts per square foot of building area of electric resistance service water heating capacity is allowed per building. |
| 2. Solar thermal, wastewater heat recovery, other approved waste heat recovery, ground source heat pumps, water-source heat pump systems utilizing waste heat, and combinations thereof, are permitted to offset all or any portion of the required HPWH capacity where such systems comply with this code and the Uniform Plumbing Code. |
| 3. Systems that comply with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) Commercial Electric Advanced Water Heating Specification. |
| 4. Service hot water systems served by a district energy system that serves multiple buildings and that was in service before the effective date of this code. |
| 5. Commercial dishwashers, commercial food service equipment, and other approved process equipment are permitted to utilize electric booster heaters for supply water temperatures 120°F (49°C) or higher. |
| 6. Systems connected to a low-carbon district energy exchange system or a low-carbon district heating and cooling or heating only system. |
| 7. Essential facilities. Groups I-2 and I-3 occupancies that by regulation are required to have in place redundant emergency backup systems. |
C404.2.1.1 Primary heat pump system sizing. The primary heat pump service water heating system shall be sized to deliver no less than 50 percent of the calculated demand for service hot water production during the peak demand period. Demand shall be calculated using the equipment manufacturer's selection criteria or another approved methodology with entering dry bulb or wet bulb outdoor air temperature at 40°F (4°C) for air-source heat pumps, or 44°F (7°C) ground temperature for ground-source heat pumps. Electric air source heat pumps shall also be sized to deliver no less than 25 percent of the calculated demand for service hot water production during the peak demand period when entering dry bulb or wet bulb outdoor air temperature is 24°F (-4°C). The remaining primary service output may be met by fossil fuel, electric resistance, or heat pump water heating systems.
EXCEPTION: | Twenty-five percent sizing at entering dry bulb or wet bulb air temperature of 24°F (-4°C) is not required for air-source heat pumps located in a below-grade enclosed parking structure or other ventilated and unconditioned space that is not anticipated to fall below 40°F (4°C) at any time. |
C404.2.1.2 Primary hot water storage sizing. The system shall provide sufficient hot water to satisfy peak demand period requirements.
C404.2.1.3 System design. The service water heating system shall be configured to conform to one of the following provisions:
1. For single-pass heat pump water heaters, temperature maintenance heating provided for reheating return water from the building's heated water circulation system shall be physically decoupled from the primary service water heating system storage tank(s) in a manner that prevents destratification of the primary system storage tanks. Temperature maintenance heating is permitted to be provided by electric resistance, fossil fuel, or a separate dedicated heat pump system.
2. For multi-pass heat pump water heaters, recirculated temperature maintenance water is permitted to be returned to the primary water storage tanks for reheating.
3. For unitary heat pump water heaters, located in conditioned space, are permitted, where they are sized to meet all calculated service water heating demand using the heat pump compressor, and not supplementary heat.
C404.2.1.3.1 Mixing valve. A thermostatic mixing valve capable of supplying hot water to the building at the user temperature setpoint shall be provided, in compliance with requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code and the HPWH manufacturer's installation guidelines. The mixing valve shall be sized and rated to deliver tempered water in a range from the minimum flow of the temperature maintenance recirculation system up to the maximum demand for the fixtures served.
C404.2.1.4 Supplemental water heating. Total supplemental water heating equipment shall not have an output capacity greater than the total summed capacity of all primary water heating equipment. For the purposes of determining this supplemental water heating allowance, the capacity of primary water heating equipment shall be evaluated at 40°F (4°C) entering dry bulb or wet bulb outdoor air temperature for air-source heat pumps, 44°F (7°C) ground temperature for ground-source heat pumps, and at the nameplate input rate for all other water heater system types. Supplemental heating is permitted for the following uses:
1. Temperature maintenance of heated-water circulation systems, physically separate from the primary service water heating system.
2. Defrost of compressor coils.
3. Heat tracing of piping for freeze protection or for temperature maintenance in lieu of recirculation of hot water.
4. Backup or low ambient temperature conditions, where all of the following are true:
4.1. During normal operations, the supplemental heating is controlled to operate only when the entering air temperature at the air-source HPWH is below 40°F (4°C), and the primary HPWH compressor continues to operate together with the supplemental heating.
4.2. The primary water heating equipment cannot satisfy the system load due to equipment failure or entering air temperature below 40°F (4°C).
C404.2.1.5 System fault detection. The control system shall be capable of and configured to send automatic error alarms to building or maintenance personnel upon detection of equipment faults, low leaving water temperature from primary storage tanks, or low hot water supply delivery temperature to building distribution system.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27A.020,
19.27A.025,
19.27A.160, chapters
19.27A and
19.27 RCW. WSR 24-03-085, § 51-11C-40402, filed 1/16/24, effective 3/15/24; WSR 22-14-091, 23-12-101, and 23-20-021, § 51-11C-40402, filed 7/1/22, 6/7/23, and 9/25/23, effective 3/15/24. Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27A.025,
19.27A.045 and chapter
19.27 RCW. WSR 20-21-080, § 51-11C-40402, filed 10/19/20, effective 2/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27A.020,
19.27A.025,
19.27A.160 and chapter
19.27 RCW. WSR 19-24-040, § 51-11C-40402, filed 11/26/19, effective 7/1/20. Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27A.025,
19.27A.160, and
19.27.074. WSR 16-03-072, § 51-11C-40402, filed 1/19/16, effective 7/1/16. Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27A.020,
19.27A.025 and chapters
19.27 and
34.05 RCW. WSR 13-04-056, § 51-11C-40402, filed 2/1/13, effective 7/1/13.]