Building Code Glossary
Condenser: Building Code Definition
How the IMC 2009 define condenser, 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
Condenser is a defined term in the International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A heat exchanger designed to liquefy refrigerant vapor by removal of heat.” 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 7 chapters of this corpus, most often in Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009), Refrigeration (IMC 2009), Definitions (IMC 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?
Condenser — IMC 2009, Definitions:
A heat exchanger designed to liquefy refrigerant vapor by removal of heat.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Condenser is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009:
A heat exchanger designed to liquefy refrigerant vapor by removal of heat.
Where condenser is used in the code
The term appears in 7 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Energy Efficiency | IECC 2009 | 26 |
| Refrigeration | IMC 2009 | 8 |
| Definitions | IMC 2009 | 6 |
| Specific Appliances, Fireplaces and Solid Fuel-burning Equipment | IMC 2009 | 4 |
| Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings | IPC 2009 | 2 |
| Sanitary Drainage | IPC 2009 | 1 |
| Definitions | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about condenser, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Condenser heat recovery shall be installed for heating or reheating of service hot water provided the facility operates 24 hours a day, the total installed heat capacity of water-cooled systems exceeds 6,000,000 Btulhr of heat rejection, and the design service water heating load exceeds 1,000,000 Btu/h.
Where an evaporator or condenser is located in an air duct system, the volume of the smallest, enclosed occupied space served by the duct system shall be used to determine the maximum allowable quantity of refrigerant in the system.
The terms condenser is built out of
The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what condenser covers:
- Heat Exchanger — IMC 2009: A device that transfers heat from one medium to another.
- Refrigerant — IRC 2009: A substance used to produce refrigeration by its expansion or evaporation.
Condenser: 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 | Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Refrigeration (IMC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IMC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Specific Appliances, Fireplaces and Solid Fuel-burning Equipment (IMC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Heat Exchanger | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Refrigerant | |
| 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
- Heat Exchanger: Building Code Definition
- Refrigerant: 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 condenser?
The International Mechanical Code (IMC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A heat exchanger designed to liquefy refrigerant vapor by removal of heat.” 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 condenser?
In this corpus the term is used across 7 chapters, led by Commercial Energy Efficiency in the IECC 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 a condenser?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IMC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A heat exchanger designed to liquefy refrigerant vapor by removal of heat.” 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.
Related pages
- Concrete, Perlite: Building Code Definition
Concrete, Perlite — IBC 2009 definition: A lightweight insulating concrete having a dry unit weight of approximately 30 pcf (480 kg/m3) made …
- Concrete, Vermiculite: Building Code Definition
Concrete, Vermiculite — IBC 2009 definition: A lightweight insulating concrete made with vermiculite concrete aggregate which is laminated micaceous material produced by …
- Condensate: Building Code Definition
Condensate — IRC 2009 definition: The liquid that separates from a gas due to a reduction in temperature, e.g., water that …
- Condensing Appliance: Building Code Definition
Condensing Appliance — IRC 2009 definition: An appliance that condenses water generated by the burning of fuels.
- Conditioned Air: Building Code Definition
Conditioned Air — IRC 2009 definition: Air treated to control its temperature, relative humidity or quality.
- Conditioned Area: Building Code Definition
Conditioned Area — IRC 2009 definition: That area within a building provided with heating and/or cooling systems or appliances capable of maintaining …