Building Code Glossary
Compressor: Building Code Definition
How the IMC 2009 define compressor, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Compressor is a defined term in the International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A specific machine, with or without accessories, for compressing a gas.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IMC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 13 chapters of this corpus, most often in Refrigeration (IMC 2009), Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009), Building Services and Systems (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Compressor — IMC 2009, Definitions:
A specific machine, with or without accessories, for compressing a gas.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Compressor is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009:
A specific machine, with or without accessories, for compressing a gas.
Where compressor is used in the code
The term appears in 13 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration | IMC 2009 | 26 |
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 21 |
| Building Services and Systems | IFC 2009 | 17 |
| Definitions | IMC 2009 | 9 |
| Residential Energy Efficiency | IECC 2009 | 2 |
| Energy Efficiency | IRC 2009 | 2 |
| Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Aviation Facilities | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Compressed Gases | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | IFC 2009 | 1 |
| Definitions | IPC 2009 | 1 |
1 further chapters mention the term.
The term in use
How the code actually writes about compressor, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
The design pressures for testing shall be those listed on the condensing unit, compressor or compressor unit name-plate, as required by ASHRAE 15.
An emergency shutdown control shall be located within 75feet (22 860mm) of, but not less than 25feet (7620mm) from, dispensers and shall also be provided in the compressor area.
Heat pumps having supplementary electric-resistance heat shall have controls that, except during defrost, prevent supplemental heat operation when the heat pump compressor can meet the heating load.
Compressor compared with Refrigerant Compressor
These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 69 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.
| Wording unique to it | |
|---|---|
| Compressor (IMC 2009) | gas |
| Refrigerant Compressor (IRC 2009) | given, refrigerant, vapor |
Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between compressor and refrigerant compressor.
Compressor: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IMC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Refrigeration (IMC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Building Services and Systems (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IMC 2009) | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Building: Building Code Definition
- Construction Documents: Building Code Definition
- Registered Design Professional: Building Code Definition
- Dwelling Unit: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of compressor?
The International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A specific machine, with or without accessories, for compressing a gas.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on compressor?
In this corpus the term is used across 13 chapters, led by Refrigeration in the IMC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the definition of a compressor?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IMC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A specific machine, with or without accessories, for compressing a gas.” It is defined in IMC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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