CHAPTER 4. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTIONCHAPTER 4. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION\Article 4. Gas-Fitting Code

There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference, for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the design, construction, quality of materials, erection, installation, alteration, repair, location, relocation, replacement, addition to, use of maintenance of heating, ventilating, cooling, refrigeration systems, incinerators, or other heat-producing appliances that the certain mechanical code known as the 2003 Edition of the International Mechanical Code, 2009 edition, as published by the International Code Council. No fewer than three (3) copies of the 2009 Edition of the International Mechanical Code, shall be marked or stamped “Official Copy as Incorporated by the Code of the City of Hoisington” and shall be filed with the City Clerk and open to inspection and available to the public at ail reasonable hours of business.

(Code 2006)

 All gas fitting work for the installation, connection, extension, alteration or replacement of gas piping and fittings, or the repairing of gas piping and fittings, and any kind of gas piping extensions or alterations or old or used installations for the supply and use of natural and artificial gas in all buildings in the city shall be done only by a person, corporation, firm or institution licensed as a gas fitter by the city: provided, that a master plumber may be licensed to do gas fitting work as may be provided by law.

(Code 1985)

(Reserved)

(a)   Before any license shall be issued to any contractor required by this article to obtain a license and pay a fee to the city, the contractor shall procure and maintain a liability insurance policy issued by some insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Kansas. A builder or building contractor may qualify as to the insurance requirements by filing a certificate with the city clerk executed by the resident agent of such company stating that the required policy of insurance has been issued by such company for the purpose required by this article.

(b)   The licensee shall assume all risks incident to or in connection with its business and shall indemnify, defend and save the city harmless from damages or injuries of whatever nature or kind to persons or property arising directly or indirectly out of the licensee’s business and arising from acts or omissions of its employees and shall indemnify, defend and save harmless the city from any and all claims, suits, losses, damages, or injuries to any person or property of whatever kind or nature arising directly or indirectly out of the business or resulting from the carelessness, negligence or improper conduct of the licensee or any of its agents or employees.

(c)   The licensee shall carry workmen’s compensation and employer’s liability in accordance with state laws and shall carry comprehensive general liability insurance, including broad form property damage liability and completed operations, in the following amounts:

(1)   Bodily Injury: $500,000 for the injury or death in anyone accident.

(2)   Property Damage: $250,000 per accident.

(d)   The insurance policies shall be issued by a company approved by the city. The city shall be furnished with a certificate of such insurance, which shall provide that such insurance shall not be changed or canceled without 10 days prior written notice to the city. Certificates of insurance shall be delivered to the city prior to issuance of the license.

(Ord. 1072, Sec. 4; Code 2006)

No gas fitter or plumber or other person shall install a gas conversion burner, floor furnace, central heating plant, or gas engine, or make alterations or install house gas piping in any building or structure without first obtaining a permit to do such work from the city clerk. Permits will not be required for setting or connecting other gas appliances where such connections are made to existing outlets previously installed by a licensed plumber or gas fitter.

(Code 1962, 5-702; Code 1985)

Any person desiring to perform any work relating to gas piping or fitting in a building for gas or to replace, alter or extend any such gas piping or to place any fixtures to be used in connection therewith shall file an application at the office of the city clerk, giving the correct location, the name and address of the owner of such building and a full and complete statement or description of the work proposed to be done. The permit shall describe and authorize the work approved to be done under the application and the same shall be displayed at the authorized place of work until the same has been finally inspected and approved. Upon the approval of the application by the plumbing inspector, a permit shall be issued upon the payment of the required fee.

(Code 1962, 5-702; Code 1985)

All permits for gas plumbing work shall be issued upon payment of a fee of $15.00 to the city clerk, which fee shall include the cost of one inspection by the city. Additional inspections as may be required shall require the payment of an additional fee at the rate of $3.00 for each such inspection. All such inspections shall be reported to the city clerk by the inspector and the same shall be paid by the permit holder to the city clerk before any certificate of approval shall be issued by the inspector. After regular city employee working hours or on holidays or other non-working days, any requested inspection shall be made for a fee for its actual cost for the inspector’s time.

(Code 1962, 5-703; Ord. 1008, Sec. 12; 2015 fee schedule)

(a)   It shall be the duty of the plumbing inspector to make all inspections of any gas systems as may be required by this article, to keep a record of such inspections and his or her orders in connection therewith and to issue certificates of final approval authorized herein,

(b)   Officers and employees of the city performing any duties under the authority of this section, shall have the right to enter any premises in the city during reasonable hours for which a permit shall have been issued for any gas work to inspect the same for conformity with this article, It shall be unlawful or any person or persons to hinder or obstruct any such officer or employee in the performance of duty.

(c)   The plumbing inspector is empowered to reject or order the correction or alteration of any gas system which shall be defective or otherwise not in conformity with the minimum standards of this article and may fix a reasonable time for such correction or alteration to be made. The failure or refusal of the plumber or other responsible party to comply with such orders shall constitute a violation of this article. The city reserves the right to refuse the issuance of any gas permit to any such person until he or she shall have complied with the conditions of any order for the correction or alteration of any gas work.

(d)   All orders made by the plumbing inspector shall be subject to the right of appeal by the permit holder within five days to the city manager for his or her decision upon the interpretation of any provisions of this article applicable to the matter in controversy. The decision of the city manager shall be binding upon the permit holder, and the plumbing inspector, unless there is a further appeal within five days to the governing body.

(e)   In the event that any gas plumbing is not ready for inspection when the inspector is on the premises ready to make his or her inspection or it becomes necessary by fault of the gas plumber to make additional inspections not specified in the permit, the cost of an additional inspection shall be charged and collected before any certificate of approval is issued.

(Code 1962, 5-706)

(a)   Rough Piping inspecting: This inspection shall be made after all piping authorized by the permit has been installed, and before any such piping has been covered or concealed or any fixtures or gas appliances have been attached thereto.

(b)   Test or final piping inspection: This inspection shall be made after all piping authorized by the permit has been installed and after all portions thereof which are to be concealed by plastering or otherwise have been so concealed, and before any fixtures or gas appliances have been attached thereto. This inspection shall include a pressure test, at which time the piping be pumped with air to a pressure of not less than 20 pounds and stand for a period of at least 20 minutes without any perceptible drop. An air pressure type gauge shall be used for the test. All tools, apparatus, labor, and assistance necessary for the tests shall be furnished by the installer.

(Code 1962, 5-704; Code 2006)

It shall be the duty of any party installing or altering gas piping in any building in the city to notify the building inspector when the work is ready for inspection, and the whole system of gas piping shall be properly arranged for the inspector to test the same.

(Code 1985)

If, upon inspection and test, the installation of any gas piping, or any part thereof, shall be found to not comply with the requirements of this article, the same shall be changed, rearranged, repaired or removed and gas shall not be permitted to flow through any piping until the same has been inspected and approved by the inspector.

(Code 1985)

Where the requirements of this article have not been complied with, the inspector shall at once notify the owner or agent of the building in which the work has been done and the party installing such work and shall order such defects as found to be changed, rearranged or removed within a reasonable time.

(Code 1985)

The inspector shall issue a certificate of approval at the completion of the work for which a specific permit has been issued, if after inspection it is found that such work complies with the provisions of this article and all other requirements of law or ordinance applicable thereto. A duplicate of each piping certificate shall be delivered to the party obtaining the permit and shall be authority for the gas utility to grant gas service.

(Code 1962, 5-704; Code 1985)

(a)   Any person, firm, corporation or organization of any kind who violates any provision of this article shall be subject to the general penalties specified in section 1-116 of this code.

(b)   Each and every 24-hour period after an official notice of a violation of this article has been given to person, firm, corporation or organization of any kind who or which is in violation of this article, and after a reasonable time as specified on the official notice has expired for correction of such violation, shall constitute a separate violation of this code.

(Code 1985)