# Receptor: Building Code Definition

> How the IRC 2009 define receptor, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/receptor/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: 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.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IRC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IRC 2009 Definitions (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 14 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Single code (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Receptor is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 14 chapters of this corpus, most often in Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009), Plumbing Fixtures (IRC 2009), Sanitary Drainage (IPC 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](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Receptor** — IRC 2009, Definitions:

> A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Receptor: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/receptor/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IRC 2009 define receptor, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

**Receptor** is defined once in this corpus, in the [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:

> A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.

## Where receptor is used in the code

The term appears in 14 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Indirect/special Waste](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/indirect-special-waste.md) | IPC 2009 | 32 |
| [Plumbing Fixtures](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/plumbing-fixtures.md) | IRC 2009 | 23 |
| [Sanitary Drainage](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/sanitary-drainage.md) | IPC 2009 | 14 |
| [Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md) | IBC 2009 | 12 |
| [Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/fixtures-faucets-and-fixture-fittings.md) | IPC 2009 | 8 |
| [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) | IRC 2009 | 8 |
| [Water Heaters](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/water-heaters.md) | IRC 2009 | 6 |
| [Water Supply and Distribution](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/water-supply-and-distribution.md) | IPC 2009 | 5 |
| [General Regulations](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/general-regulations.md) | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| [Water Heaters](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/water-heaters.md) | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| [Water Supply and Distribution](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/water-supply-and-distribution.md) | IRC 2009 | 4 |
| [Plumbing Administration](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/plumbing-administration.md) | IRC 2009 | 3 |

_2 further chapters mention the term._

### The term in use

How the code actually writes about receptor, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

> Where a floor drain is located within an area subject to freezing, the waste line serving the floor drain shall not be trapped and shall indirectly discharge into a waste receptor located outside of the area subject to freezing.

— [IPC 2009 §802.1.2](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/indirect-special-waste.md)

> Such walls shall form a water-tightjoint with each other and with either the tub, receptor or shower floor.

— [IRC 2009 §P2708.1](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/plumbing-fixtures.md)

> The drainage fixture unit load of an indirect waste receptor receiving the discharge of indirectly connected fixtures shall be the sum of the drainage fixture unitvalues of the fixtures that discharge to the receptor, but not less than the drainage fixture unit value given for the indirect waste receptor in Table 709.1 or 709.2.

— [IPC 2009 §709.4](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/sanitary-drainage.md)


## The terms receptor 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 receptor covers:

- **[Device](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/device.md)** — IRC 2009: Aunit of an electrical system that carries or controls electrical energy as it principal function.
- **[Waste](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/waste.md)** — IRC 2009: Liquid-borne waste that is free of fecal matter.

## Receptor: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Plumbing Fixtures (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Sanitary Drainage (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Device | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Waste | |
| 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](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Device: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/device.md)
- [Waste: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/waste.md)

## 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](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.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of receptor?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.” 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 receptor?

In this corpus the term is used across 14 chapters, led by Indirect/special Waste in the IPC 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 receptor in plumbing?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as Plumbing, which the IRC 2009 defines separately as “For the purpose of this code, plumbing refers to those installations, repairs, maintenance and alterations regulated by Chapters 25 through 33.” 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.

### What are the key components of a building code?

Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as receptor, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A fixture or device that receives the discharge from indirect waste pipes.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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