Interpretation #: CEB-2022-02-2012 IPC-708.2

Building or Fire Safety Law Interpreted

675 IAC 16-1.4 2012 Indiana Plumbing Code, Section 708.2 Cleanout plugs. Cleanout plugs shall be brass or plastic, or other approved materials. Brass cleanout plugs shall be utilized with metallic drain, waste, and vent piping only, and shall conform to ASTM A74, ASME A112.3.1, or ASME A112.36.2M. Cleanouts with plate-style access covers shall be fitted with corrosion-resisting fasteners. Plastic cleanout plugs shall conform to the requirements of Section 702.4. Plugs shall have raised square or countersunk square heads. Countersunk heads shall be installed where raised heads are a trip hazard. Cleanout plugs with borosilicate glass systems shall be of borosilicate glass.

Issue

Whether Section 708.2 of the 2012 Indiana Plumbing Code (IPC) prohibits the use of a pinned cleanout plug.

Interpretation of the State Building Commissioner

No, Section 708.2 of the 2012 IPC does not prohibit the use of a pinned cleanout plug.

Rationale

The section in question provides several design and material requirements for acceptable cleanout plugs or covers. They specify materials, fasteners, surface design, and in the case of brass plugs, the materials required for the associated drain, waste, and vent piping. Further, the section requires compliance with one of the following standards: ASTM A74, ASME A112.3.1, or ASME A112.36.2M. In examining the last of these, we find it consists of regulations on materials, threads, gaskets and sealing mechanisms, surface design, sizes, closure types, frame and housing design, and finishes. Neither the IPC section nor ASME A112.36.2M contain any prohibitions on a pin projecting into the pipe in which the cleanout is installed. Since compliance with only one of the listed standards is required for acceptance, none of the other standards were consulted.

Further, there is nothing in the intended performance characteristics for cleanout plugs that would suggest a pin is contraindicated. The plug's purpose is to seal a cleanout opening. A pin does not prevent the plug from serving this purpose, and once the plug is removed, it does not interfere with the intended use of the cleanout.

While typical plumbing waste systems would not be served by a pinned cleanout plug, pinned plugs and other similar devices (such as plugs with hooks), have become standard tools in the effort to prevent severe damage and disruption in correctional facilities, where inappropriate materials are occasionally flushed down toilets. It is up to the owner to weigh the risk of such behavior against the risk of any reduced performance that devices such as pins and hooks may cause in effective waste elimination. In any case, their use is not prohibited by 2012 IPC Section 708.2.