MeyerFire
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • THE TOOLKIT
    • SUBMIT AN IDEA
    • BACKFLOW DATABASE*
    • CLEAN AGENT ESTIMATOR*
    • CLOUD CEILING CALCULATOR
    • DOMESTIC DEMAND*
    • FIRE FLOW CALCULATOR*
    • FIRE PUMP ANALYZER*
    • FIRE PUMP DATABASE*
    • FRICTION LOSS CALCULATOR
    • HANGER SPACER*
    • IBC TRANSLATOR*
    • K-FACTOR SELECTOR*
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('19 ONLY)
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('99-'22)*
    • LIQUIDS ANALYZER*
    • OBSTRUCTION CALCULATOR
    • OBSTRUCTIONS AGAINST WALL*
    • PLUMBING FIXTURE COUNTS
    • QUICK RESPONSE AREA REDUCTION
    • REMOTE AREA ANALYZER*
    • SPRINKLER DATABASE*
    • SPRINKLER FLOW*
    • SYSTEM ESTIMATOR*
    • TEST & DRAIN CALCULATOR
    • THRUST BLOCK CALCULATOR
    • TRAPEZE CALCULATOR
    • UNIT CONVERTER
    • VOLUME & COMPRESSOR CALCULATOR
    • WATER STORAGE*
    • WATER SUPPLY (US)
    • WATER SUPPLY (METRIC)
  • UNIVERSITY
    • ABOUT
    • CATALOG
    • CONTENT LIBRARY
  • PE Exam
    • PE Forum & Errata
    • PE Store
    • PE Tools
    • PE Prep Series
    • PE 100-Day Marathon
  • LOGIN
  • PRICING
    • SOFTWARE & TRAINING
    • STORE
  • THE CAUSE
    • ABOUT US
    • BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR
    • HELP/SUPPORT
Picture

Top 10 MeyerFire Articles & Tools of 2018

12/17/2018

 
What's not to like about a Top 10 list? If you know someone who may enjoy reading about this, please consider forwarding to a friend.

​Here's the top ten most popular articles and posts in this past year:

Cloud Ceiling Fire Sprinklers
10. A New Calculator for Cloud Ceiling Sprinklers
This quick calculator helps determine requirements for when fire sprinklers are required in or around cloud ceilings, per NFPA 13-2016.
NFPA 101 Occupant Load Factors
9. New Occupant Load Factors Coming to NFPA 101
In this article I dive into the changes in NFPA 101-2018 Edition concerning business occupant load factors.
Thrust Block Calculator
8. A New Thrust Block Calculator
Good for calculating thrust block dimensions, this quick calculator helps determine block height and width based on a number of site factors.
Smoke Detector Spacing
7. The Other Easy Way to Space a Smoke Detector
In this article I elaborate on the second spacing option for smoke detectors under NFPA 72. It's a less common approach, but very straightforward and can result in the use of less detectors overall.
Hazen Williams Calculator
6. Fire Sprinkler Friction Loss: A Quick Calculator
Probably my personal favorite tool to date is this friction loss calculator, which estimates loss through a segment of pipe and fittings of your choosing. Estimate underground sizes, parts of branch lines, mains, and more with this quick comparison tool.
Fire Sprinkler Armover
5. Advantages of Return Bends in Fire Sprinkler Systems
One of the first articles I put together is still popular; why do we have return bends? There's several advantages that are often overlooked that I discuss in this article.
Fire Sprinkler in Bathroom
4. When are Sprinklers Required in Bathrooms?
Whether sprinkler protection is required in a small bathroom is a straightforward yes/no answer, but getting to that answer can be slightly more complex. This article discusses and includes a flow chart on when protection is necessary.
Fire Sprinkler Inspector's Test
3. Details and Requirements of the Inspector's Test
Another article that continues to find an audience is this detailing and discussion of the Inspector's Test. What is the sight ("site") glass for? What about the drum drip? Details here.
Fire Sprinkler Underneath Canopy
2. Are Fire Sprinklers Required for a Canopy?
One of my favorite flow charts is this logic chart that looks at whether sprinklers are required for canopies or overhangs. Code (specifically NFPA 13) has caveats that make this area of code a little tricky; the flow chart here should help.
Fire Hydrant Flow Test
1. Flow Test Reports and the N^1.85 Supply Graph
Here I take on the classic N^1.85 semi-logarithmic chart with a tool that can graph your flow test and detail your system's safety factor. It's the most popular tool and article this year.
​
I hope you've had a great 2018 and are looking as forward to the coming year as I am.

If you've found any of this helpful, consider sending this to a friend or encouraging them to sign up for these weekly articles here. Thanks in advance and have a great holiday and happy new year!

Thank You! A 2018 Wrap-up at MeyerFire

12/17/2018

 
It's hard to believe we're getting ready to wrap up the year. If I could say any one thing to you as a reader of this blog, it would be a big THANK YOU for helping build and share this platform for fire protection tools & articles.

In only a few years this site has grown from just one voice with small tips on system design to a platform for high-caliber regular discussions on the Daily page, a top PE Exam prep community, and a means to which I've spoken with many incredible people about tools and ideas to build and help us collaborate better as an industry going forward.

I won't bore you with all the details, but the stats around this site astound me. I started with no real expectation of readership, and in such a short time this outlet has grown well past my wildest hopes. Just since December 2017, readership for these articles has increased nearly 5X, and there is now regularly over 400 different professionals using the tools and discussing daily questions here each day. In 2018 there's been over half a million pageviews, and many of them coming from around the world.

​Thank you for your support and encouragement in helping build something special here.

The Benefits of Residential-Style Fire Sprinklers

12/12/2018

 
Residential-style sprinklers are specifically designed & tested for their response and ability to "enhance survivability" in the room of fire origin. [NFPA 13 2002-07 3.6.2.10, 2010-13 3.6.4.8, 2016 3.6.4.9]

What makes them so attractive to use in residential occupancies?

Specifically Designed Spray Pattern

First, their spray pattern is specifically suited to residential hazards. Unlike light hazard office spaces, dining areas of restaurants, meeting rooms or lobbies, residential rooms regularly contain much of the fire hazard along the perimeter of the room. This hazard often presents itself as bookshelves, cabinetry, curtains, furniture, and an assortment of other potential fuel sources.

Unlike standard-spray fire sprinklers, residential-style sprinklers throw more water to where it's needed-along and up the edges of a room.
​
Residential Fire Sprinkler
Residential-style sprinklers are specifically designed to throw along the outer boundaries of rooms, which better aligns with locations of typical residential hazards. Sprinkler throw data above is of the Victaulic V2738 residential sprinkler.
Fast Response

Residential-style sprinklers are also fast to respond, with the intent to fight the fire earlier in its incipient stages. 

While light hazard areas are already required to use one of several specific sprinkler responses, including the option for quick-response sprinklers (NFPA 13 2002-16 8.3.3.1), residential-style sprinklers are still considered 'fast-response'.

The term Fast-Response is defined as a sprinkler with an RTI (Response Time Index) of 50 √m-s or less. It incorporates three specific styles of sprinklers - "Residential Sprinklers", "Quick Response Sprinklers" (including standard and extended coverage), and "Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR)." Each of these sprinklers qualify as Fast Response, but they are not interchangeable. [Viking Technical Article by Scott Martorano, July 2006]

Hydraulic Benefits

Based on the ability to better fight a residential fire, the use of residential style sprinklers has a hydraulic kickback that dramatically helps the hydraulic calculations for a residential area.

As residential sprinklers are not quick response sprinklers, the remote area reduction for the use of quick-response sprinklers does not apply.

However, NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R only require that the most hydraulically demanding four adjacent sprinklers be calculated, while NFPA 13D only requires the most hydraulically demanding two adjacent sprinklers be calculated. [NFPA 13 2002 11.2.3.5.1, 2007-16 11.3.1.1, NFPA 13R 2002 6.7.1.2, 2007 6.8.1.2, 2010-19 7.1.1.3, NFPA 13D 2002-10 8.1.2, 2013-19 10.2]

Additionally, NFPA 13R and NFPA 13D permit the design density to be as low as 0.05 gpm/sqft or the listed density of the sprinkler. [NFPA 13R 2002 6.7.1.1.2.2, 2007 6.8.1.1.1.2, 2010-19 7.1.1, NFPA 13D 2002-10 8.1.1, 2013-19 10.1.1]
GET THE MEYERFIRE NFPA 13 VS. NFPA 13R VS. NFPA 13D SUMMARY
These reductions can significantly reduce the flow for a remote area, resulting in less friction loss and ultimately a smaller system demand, even with smaller pipe sizes.

Specific Obstructions 

It's important to note that due to the different spray pattern, residential sprinklers have their own obstruction rules which differ from standard spray. Try out the Obstruction Calculator with residential-style sprinklers to see the difference.

Where Can Residential Sprinklers Be Used?

Residential style sprinklers are permitted in "dwelling units and their adjoining corridors, provided they are installed in conformance with their listing." [NFPA 13 2002-16 8.4.5.1]. Their limited to wet pipe systems unless listed for use in dry or pre-action, but this is often not a major inhibitor.
Sidewall Fire Sprinkler
Residential sprinklers are allowed to be used in wet systems within dwelling units and their adjoining corridors.

​Also of note is new verbiage in the 2013 edition of NFPA 13 annex which includes that "Residential sprinklers can only be used in corridors that lead to dwelling units. However, the corridors that lead to dwelling units can also lead to other hazards that are not dwelling units and can still be protected with residential sprinklers" [NFPA 13 2013-16 A.8.4.5.1]. 

This verbiage was included to clarify that just because other hazards might be adjacent to these same corridors does not mean residential style sprinklers cannot be used.

Summary

Residential sprinklers differ from standard spray in their response categorization and their water distribution. Both of these elements align with residential hazards, and their use offers some positive kickbacks to designers looking to use them in and around residential areas in buildings.


I hope you found this helpful. If you don't already get these articles and tools, you can easily subscribe to these free weekly articles here.

Requirements for Fire Sprinklers at Ceiling Fans

12/5/2018

 
If you work with sprinkler systems & review layouts, you've undoubtedly encountered sprinklers near ceiling fans. Today I'm taking a look at some of the requirements for sprinklers near fans, and the basis for those requirements.

Traditional Ceiling Fans

​The chief concern with a typical residential-style ceiling fan is that the fan motor housing and fan blades could form an obstruction to proper sprinkler discharge.

Motor Housing Obstruction

NFPA 13 addresses the discharge from the motor housing by the Three Times Rule, where the sprinkler must be located three-times the width of the obstruction up to 24 inches (610 mm).

Fan Blade Obstruction

In terms of obstruction from the fan blades, NFPA 13 also allows sprinklers to be placed "without regard" to the blades of ceiling fans less than 60 inches (1.5 m) in diameter as long as the plan view is at least 50 percent open (NFPA 13 2010-19 under "Obstructions to Sprinkler Discharge Pattern Development" subsections in Chapter 8).

NFPA 13R 3 and 5-foot Rules

NFPA 13R takes a more straightforward requirement for positioning of sprinklers near ceiling fans - residential pendent sprinklers must be 3-feet and residential sidewalls must be 5-feet unless another sprinkler is positioned on the adjacent side, or, the sprinkler is positioned so that the fan is not considered an obstruction (NFPA 13R 2007 6.8.1.5.3, 2010-19 6.4.6).
​
Ceiling Fan Fire Sprinkler
Residential style sprinklers are impacted by ceiling-mounted obstructions, such as lights and fans, to a greater degree than obstructions down from the ceiling since residential sprinklers throw with more high-wall wetting
NFPA 13R Research Basis

The NFPA 13R guidance was driven by fire modeling, sprinkler response tests, distribution tests, and full-scale fire tests by the National Fire Sprinkler Association and the Viking Corporation in 2005 (Valentine and Isman, Interaction of Residential Sprinklers, Ceiling Fans and Similar Obstructions). These tests indicated that the fan blades where not significant obstructions as long as the sprinkler was far enough away from the motor housing, allowing the sprinkler to control a fire on the other side of the fan in a small room.

These tests also indicated that fans on low to medium speed did not significantly impact sprinkler performance, but high speed did. Despite the effect, the fire was still controlled in small rooms. Larger rooms, due to the size, would be expected to require additional sprinklers (NFPA 13R 2007 Annex).
High Volume Low Speed Fans (HVLS) 

Fans moving larger volumes of air can have a significant impact on plume development and fire sprinkler response.

In 2009, a research project sponsored by the Property Insurance Research Group (PIRG) and other industry groups, coordinated by the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) ran a series of 10 full-scale fire test and limited scale testing to evaluate the impact on sprinkler system performance. 

In 2011, a second phase was conducted by Factory Mutual Research Corporation.

Recommendations from Research

Based on the tests, effective sprinkler operation was obtained when the HVLS fans did not obstruct sprinkler discharge and were shut down upon the activation of the first sprinkler.

The research also included shutdown by air-sampling type detection and use of ionization type smoke detectors, with earlier fan shutdown resulting in less commodity damage. FM Global's recommendations even extend into smoke detection devices or heat detection devices as an acceptable means to conduct the fan shutdown (provided uniformly above the fan blade area, per Data Sheet 548).
Big Ass HVLS Fan with Fire Sprinklers
Due to size and large air movement, High Volume Low Speed Fans (such as Big Ass fans) impact sprinkler discharge as both a potential obstruction and as a large air mover

​NPFA 13 Requirements for HVLS Fans

NFPA 13 defines high volume low speed fans as ceiling fans approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) to 24 feet (7.3 m) in diameter, with a rotational speed of approximately 30 to 70 revolutions per minute (NFPA 13 2013-16 Section 3.3.14).

Beginning with the 2013 Edition of NFPA 13, NFPA 13 has required four principal items concerning these large fans (NFPA 13 2013-16 Section 11.1.7 and 12.1.4 for storage):
(1) The maximum fan diameter must be 24 feet (7.3 m)
(2) HVLS fans be centered approximately between four adjacent sprinklers
(3) The vertical clearance from the fan to the nearest sprinkler deflector must be a minimum of 3 feet (0.9 m)
(4) HVLS fans must shutdown (via interlock) immediately upon receiving a waterflow signal in accordance with NFPA 72.

While NFPA 13 suggests centering the fan between four sprinklers - trying to convince an architect or mechanical engineer to shift their equipment based on the sprinkler system can be difficult to do. I've had better success designing the sprinkler locations around the fan location.


Thoughts

Since sprinklers are designed to be sensitive to air temperature and movement, ceiling fans can impact performance. With small ceiling fans, the biggest concern is obstructing sprinkler discharge, while for larger HVLS fans this chief concern moves towards the movement of air and impacting the response. Fortunately, research-backed recommendations have been provided to still allow effective fire sprinkler protection alongside ceiling fans.

Subscribe

Want more like this? Get these free weekly articles here.
    Picture
    Why Sponsor?

    ALL-ACCESS

    Picture
    GET THE TOOLKIT

    SUBSCRIBE

    Get Free Articles via Email:
    + Get calculators, tools, resources and articles
    + Get our PDF Flowchart for Canopy & Overhang Requirements instantly
    Picture
    + No spam
    ​+ Unsubscribe anytime
    I'm Interested In:

    AUTHOR

    Joe Meyer, PE, is a Fire Protection Engineer out of St. Louis, Missouri who writes & develops resources for Fire Protection Professionals. See bio here: About


    FILTERS

    All
    Announcements
    Book Review
    Calculators
    Career
    Course
    Design Challenge
    Fire Alarm
    Fire Events
    Fire Suppression
    Flammable & Combustible Liquids
    Flexible Drops
    Floor Control Valve
    Life Safety
    News
    NICET
    Passive Fire Protection
    PE Exam
    Products
    Site Updates
    Special Hazards
    Sprinkler Systems
    Standpipes
    Tools
    Videos


    ARCHIVES

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    RSS Feed

Picture
​Home
Our Cause
The Blog
The Forum
PE Exam Prep
The Toolkit

MeyerFire University
​Pricing
Login
​Support
Contact Us
Picture

MeyerFire.com is a startup community built to help fire protection professionals shine.
Our goal is to improve fire protection practices worldwide. We promote the industry by creating helpful tools and resources, and by bringing together industry professionals to share their expertise.

​MeyerFire, LLC is an International Code Council Preferred Education Provider.

All text, images, and media ​Copyright © 2023 MeyerFire, LLC

We respect your privacy and personal data. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 
The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author and do not represent the opinions of any other party, nor does the presented material assume responsibility for its use. Fire protection and life safety systems constitute a critical component for public health and safety and you should consult with a licensed professional for proper design and code adherence.

Discussions are solely for the purpose of peer review and the exchange of ideas. All comments are reviewed. Comments which do not contribute, are not relevant, are spam, or are disrespectful in nature may be removed. Information presented and opinions expressed should not be relied upon as a replacement for consulting services. Some (not all) outbound links on this website, such as Amazon links, are affiliate-based where we receive a small commission for orders placed elsewhere.

  • Blog
  • Forum
  • THE TOOLKIT
    • SUBMIT AN IDEA
    • BACKFLOW DATABASE*
    • CLEAN AGENT ESTIMATOR*
    • CLOUD CEILING CALCULATOR
    • DOMESTIC DEMAND*
    • FIRE FLOW CALCULATOR*
    • FIRE PUMP ANALYZER*
    • FIRE PUMP DATABASE*
    • FRICTION LOSS CALCULATOR
    • HANGER SPACER*
    • IBC TRANSLATOR*
    • K-FACTOR SELECTOR*
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('19 ONLY)
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('99-'22)*
    • LIQUIDS ANALYZER*
    • OBSTRUCTION CALCULATOR
    • OBSTRUCTIONS AGAINST WALL*
    • PLUMBING FIXTURE COUNTS
    • QUICK RESPONSE AREA REDUCTION
    • REMOTE AREA ANALYZER*
    • SPRINKLER DATABASE*
    • SPRINKLER FLOW*
    • SYSTEM ESTIMATOR*
    • TEST & DRAIN CALCULATOR
    • THRUST BLOCK CALCULATOR
    • TRAPEZE CALCULATOR
    • UNIT CONVERTER
    • VOLUME & COMPRESSOR CALCULATOR
    • WATER STORAGE*
    • WATER SUPPLY (US)
    • WATER SUPPLY (METRIC)
  • UNIVERSITY
    • ABOUT
    • CATALOG
    • CONTENT LIBRARY
  • PE Exam
    • PE Forum & Errata
    • PE Store
    • PE Tools
    • PE Prep Series
    • PE 100-Day Marathon
  • LOGIN
  • PRICING
    • SOFTWARE & TRAINING
    • STORE
  • THE CAUSE
    • ABOUT US
    • BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR
    • HELP/SUPPORT