IMC Chapters
The 2021 International Mechanical Code is organized into the chapters below. Use this index to understand the scope of each chapter before diving into practice tests or flashcards.
IMC Chapter 1 Study Guide
Chapter 1 tells you when the IMC applies, how the code official administers it, and what paperwork, permits, and approvals hold the job together.
IMC Chapter 2 Study Guide
Chapter 2 controls the vocabulary of the code. If a term is defined here, that definition governs every chapter that uses it.
IMC Chapter 3 Study Guide
Chapter 3 is the everyday installation chapter. It covers where equipment can go, how it is supported, how it is accessed, and the basic safety rules that follow almost every system.
IMC Chapter 4 Study Guide
Chapter 4 is about keeping occupied spaces breathable and healthy by requiring either natural ventilation or a designed mechanical ventilation strategy.
IMC Chapter 5 Study Guide
Chapter 5 manages what the building must remove: heat, moisture, grease, lint, smoke, fumes, dust, hazardous vapors, and process contaminants.
IMC Chapter 6 Study Guide
Chapter 6 governs how air moves through the building safely and reliably, with emphasis on duct construction, plenums, smoke control, and fire-resistance coordination.
IMC Chapter 7 Study Guide
Chapter 7 ensures fuel-burning equipment gets enough air to burn safely and vent correctly.
IMC Chapter 8 Study Guide
Chapter 8 governs how combustion products leave the building and how venting systems are selected, sized, and installed.
IMC Chapter 9 Study Guide
Chapter 9 collects appliance-specific rules that do not fit neatly into the general chapters. It is the 'special cases' chapter for equipment with distinct hazards or installation rules.
IMC Chapter 10 Study Guide
Chapter 10 is a safety chapter. It focuses on pressure, temperature, relief, controls, clearances, and testing for equipment that can fail violently if installed or maintained poorly.
IMC Chapter 11 Study Guide
Chapter 11 controls refrigerant hazards by tying refrigerant type, occupancy, system classification, charge amount, machinery room design, piping, and testing together.
IMC Chapter 12 Study Guide
Chapter 12 deals with closed-loop water and heat-transfer piping systems, with emphasis on materials, joints, supports, insulation, fluid selection, and testing.
IMC Chapter 13 Study Guide
Chapter 13 covers the storage and delivery side of liquid fuel systems, with a strong focus on containment, control, and safe shutoff.
IMC Chapter 14 Study Guide
Chapter 14 covers collector-based solar thermal systems and the design issues that make them different from ordinary piping systems, especially heat-transfer fluid, overheat control, and labeling.
IMC Chapter 15 Study Guide
Chapter 15 is the bridge between the IMC and the standards it adopts by reference.