SECTION 75.100. Technical Requirements

(a) Electrical Connections.

(1) On new construction of environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, and process cooling or heating systems, licensees may connect the appliance to the electrical line or disconnect that is provided for that purpose.

(2) Licensees may replace and reconnect environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, process cooling or heating systems, or component parts of the same or lesser amperage. On replacement environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, process cooling or heating systems where the electrical disconnect has not been installed and is required by the applicable National Electrical Code, the licensee may install a disconnect and reconnect the system.

(3) Control wiring of 50 volts or less may be installed and serviced by a licensee. Control wiring for commercial refrigeration equipment of any voltage may be installed by a licensee with the commercial refrigeration endorsement as long as the control wiring is on the equipment side of the disconnect installed for that purpose.

(4) All electrical work shall be performed in accordance with standards at least as strict as that established by the applicable National Electrical Code and the International Residential Code, where applicable.

(b) Piping.

(1) Fuel gas piping for new or replaced environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling or heating systems may be installed by a licensee. Fuel gas piping by a licensee is limited to the portion of piping between the appliance and the existing piping system, connected at an existing shut-off valve for such use. Existing piping systems, stops, or shut-off valves shall not be altered by a licensee.

(2) Drain piping associated with environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling or heating systems shall be installed by a licensee if it terminates outside the building. If the piping terminates inside the building, a licensee may make the connection if the connection is on the inlet side of a properly installed trap. Such drain piping shall be installed in accordance with applicable plumbing and building codes.

(3) Other piping, fittings, valves and controls associated with environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling or heating systems shall be installed by a licensee.

(c) Duct cleaning.

(1) Duct cleaning and air quality testing, including biomedical testing, may be performed by a person or entity that does not hold a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 if:

(A) the task is limited to the air distribution system, from the supply plenum to the supply grilles of the unit and from the return air grill to the air handler intake of the unit;

(B) no cuts are made to ducts or plenums;

(C) no changes are made to electrical connections; and

(D) the only disassembly of any part of the system is opening or removal of return and supply air grilles, or registers that are removable without cutting or removing any other part of the system.

(2) Biomedical testing may be performed by a person or entity that does not hold a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302.

(3) Biomedical remediation requires a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302.

(d) Process Cooling and Heating.

(1) Process cooling and heating work does not include cryogenic work.

(2) Process cooling and heating work is limited to work performed on piping and equipment in the primary closed loop portions of processing systems containing a primary process medium. Once a primary closed loop process system has been deactivated and rendered inert by a licensee, a person or entity that does not hold a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302 may perform maintenance, service and repairs on the secondary open loop components including piping, heat exchangers, vessels, cooling towers, sump pumps, motors, and fans.

(e) Standards.

(1) The standard for the practice of air conditioning and refrigeration in a municipality is the code the municipality adopted by ordinance that is consistent with the standards established under the Act and this chapter.

(2) The standard for the practice of air conditioning and refrigeration in an area where no code has been adopted is:

(A) The applicable edition of the International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings, and multiple single family dwellings (townhouses) not more than three stories in height with separate means of egress, together with the applicable editions of the International Fuel Gas Code and the International Energy Conservation Code;

(B) For commercial work and any multiple family residential work that exceeds the limitations of subparagraph (A), the contractor performing the work may choose between:

(i) the applicable edition of the Uniform Mechanical Code; or

(ii) the applicable editions of the International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code and International Energy Conservation Code.

(f) System Testing and Balancing.

(1) System testing may be performed by a person or entity that does not hold a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302.

(2) System balancing requires a contractor license under Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302.

Source Note: The provisions of this §75.100 adopted to be effective July 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 5469; amended to be effective March 7, 2001, 26 TexReg 1833; amended to be effective November 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 8814; amended to be effective March 27, 2002, 27 TexReg 2225; amended to be effective December 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 10465; amended to be effective August 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 5944; amended to be effective April 1, 2011, 36 TexReg 1975; amended to be effective November 17, 2021, 46 TexReg 7782; amended to be effective December 31, 2022, 47 TexReg 7681; amended to be effective August 31, 2023, 48 TexReg 4654