Regulations last checked for updates: Jun 01, 2024

Title 24 - Housing and Urban Development last revised: May 28, 2024
§ 3285.501 - Home installation manual supplements.

Supplemental instructions for optional equipment or features must be approved by the DAPIA as not taking the home out of conformance with the requirements of this part, or part 3280 of this chapter, and included with the manufacturer installation instructions.

§ 3285.502 - Expanding rooms.

The support and anchoring systems for expanding rooms must be installed in accordance with designs provided by the home manufacturer or prepared by a registered professional engineer or registered architect, in accordance with acceptable engineering practice.

§ 3285.503 - Optional appliances.

(a) Comfort cooling systems. When not provided and installed by the home manufacturer, any comfort cooling systems that are installed must be installed according to the appliance manufacturer's installation instructions.

(1) Air conditioners. Air conditioning equipment must be listed or certified by a nationally recognized testing agency for the application for which the unit is intended and installed in accordance with the terms of its listing or certification (see § 3280.714 of this chapter).

(i) Energy efficiency. (A) Site-installed central air conditioning equipment must be sized to meet the home's heat gain requirement, in accordance with Chapter 28 of the 1997 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (incorporated by reference, see § 3285.4) or ACCA Manual J, Residential Cooling Load, 8th Edition (incorporated by reference, see § 3285.4). Information necessary to calculate the home's heat gain can be found on the home's comfort cooling certificate.

(B) The BTU/hr. rated capacity of the site-installed air conditioning equipment must not exceed the air distribution system's rated BTU/hr. capacity as shown on the home's compliance certificate.

(ii) Circuit rating. If a manufactured home is factory-provided with an exterior outlet to energize heating and/or air conditioning equipment, the branch circuit rating on the tag adjacent to this outlet must be equal to or greater than the minimum circuit amperage identified on the equipment rating plate.

(iii) A-coil units. (A) A-coil air conditioning units must be compatible and listed for use with the furnace in the home and installed in accordance with the appliance manufacturer's instructions.

(B) The air conditioner manufacturer instructions must be followed.

(C) All condensation must be directed beyond the perimeter of the home by means specified by the equipment manufacturer.

(2) Heat pumps. Heat pumps must be listed or certified by a nationally recognized testing agency for the application for which the unit is intended and installed in accordance with the terms of its listing or certification. (See § 3280.714 of this chapter).

(3) Evaporative coolers. (i) A roof-mounted cooler must be listed or certified by a nationally recognized testing agency for the application for which the unit is intended and installed in accordance with the terms of its listing (see § 3280.714 of this chapter).

(A) Any discharge grill must not be closer than three feet from a smoke alarm.

(B) Before installing a roof-mounted evaporative cooler on-site, the installer must ensure that the roof will support the weight of the cooler.

(C) A rigid base must be provided to distribute the cooler weight over multiple roof trusses to adequately support the weight of the evaporative cooler.

(ii) An evaporative cooler that is not roof-mounted is to be installed in accordance with the requirements of its listing or the equipment manufacturer's instructions, whichever is the more restrictive.

(b) Fireplaces and wood-stoves. When not provided by the home manufacturer, fireplaces and wood-stoves including chimneys and air inlets for fireplaces and wood stoves must be listed for use with manufactured homes and must be installed in accordance with their listings.

(c) Appliance venting. (1) All fuel burning heat producing appliances of the vented type except ranges and ovens must be vented to the exterior of the home.

(2) Upon completion, the venting system must comply with all requirements of §§ 3280.707(b) and 3280.710 of the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards in this chapter.

(3) When the vent exhausts through the floor, the vent must not terminate under the home and must extend to the home's exterior and through any skirting that may be installed.

(d) Clothes dryer exhaust duct system. A clothes dryer exhaust duct system must conform with and be completed in accordance with the appliance manufacturer instructions and § 3280.708 of this chapter. The vents must exhaust to the exterior of the home, beyond any perimeter skirting installed around it, as shown in Figure to § 3285.503.

Notes:

1. Installation of the exhaust system must be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer instructions.

2. Dryer exhaust system must not contain reverse slope or terminate under the home.

§ 3285.504 - Skirting.

(a) Skirting, if used, must be of weather-resistant materials or provided with protection against weather deterioration at least equivalent to that provided by a coating of zinc on steel of not less than 0.30 oz./ft. 2 of surface coated.

(b) Skirting must not be attached in a manner that can cause water to be trapped between the siding and trim or forced up into the wall cavities trim to which it is attached.

(c) All wood skirting within 6 inches of the ground must be pressure-treated in accordance with AWPA Standard U1 (incorporated by reference, see § 3285.4) for Use Category 4A, Ground Anchor Contact Applications, or be naturally resistant to decay and termite infestations.

(d) Skirting must not be attached in a manner that impedes the contraction and expansion characteristics of the home's exterior covering.

§ 3285.505 - Crawlspace ventilation.

(a) A crawlspace with skirting must be provided with ventilation openings. The minimum net area of ventilation openings must not be less than one square foot (ft. 2) for every 150 square feet (ft. 2) of the home's floor area. The total area of ventilation openings may be reduced to one square foot (ft. 2) for every 1,500 square feet (ft. 2) of the home's floor area, where a uniform 6-mil polyethylene sheet material or other acceptable vapor retarder is installed, according to § 3285.204, on the ground surface beneath the entire floor area of the home.

(b) Ventilation openings must be placed as high as practicable above the ground.

(c) Ventilation openings must be located on at least two opposite sides to provide cross-ventilation.

(d) Ventilation openings must be covered for their full height and width with a perforated corrosion and weather-resistant covering that is designed to prevent the entry of rodents. In areas subject to freezing, the coverings for the ventilation openings must also be of the adjustable type, permitting them to be in the open or closed position, depending on the climatic conditions.

(e) Access opening(s) not less than 18 inches in width and 24 inches in height and not less than three square feet (ft. 2) in area must be provided and must be located so that any utility connections located under the home are accessible.

(f) Dryer vents and combustion air inlets must pass through the skirting to the outside. Any surface water runoff from the furnace, air conditioning, or water heater drains must be directed away from under the home or collected by other methods identified in § 3285.203.

authority: 42 U.S.C. 3535(d), 5403, 5404, and 5424
source: 72 FR 59362, Oct. 19, 2007, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 24 CFR 3285.504