Air Compressor Require Battery or Backup Power?

9/6/2022

NFPA 13, Section 8.2.6.3.1 states that the compressed air supply shall be from a source available at all times.

Does this mean that it has to have a battery backup, or an inverter, if there is no generator?

Thanks.

Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe

7 Comments

Jesse

9/6/2022 08:02:53 am

No battery backup required but it does require a dedicated circuit.

9/6/2022 08:09:45 am

I agree with Jesse, but as an aside, a compressor with a tank mounted on it should be able to provide adequate air pressure for a short power outage.

Alex

9/6/2022 08:12:26 am

Hi,

No, the compressor does not need to be on battery backup. A source available at all times is referring to a reliable generator that is connected and automatic with pressure sensing.

Thanks,
Alex

Brian Gerdwagen

9/6/2022 08:38:43 am

The reason it does not need backup power is the system is fail-safe. If there is a long period of power failure, your dry system will become a wet system.

This may be undesirable for areas that need weather-driven freeze protection, but I would strongly look at other solutions than a dry system if there is a high probability of power loss for long periods.

In a frozen food warehouse, if there is backup power for the freezers, use it for the compressor.

Glenn Berger

9/6/2022 10:18:26 am

The requirement is a reliable source (always available). Depending on the type of facility and the how the power supply is configured will determine how the requirement can be met. You question did not specify if your project contained dry-pipe systems or pre-action systems.

Ken Thackery

9/6/2022 10:26:32 am

Dedicated circuit only. Power supply is not in our scope.

schulman

9/8/2022 08:38:08 am

i've done jobs with available emergency circuits that we used for the compressor as we were protecting sensitive equipment so we did not want the "fail safe" feature filling the pipes with water unless there was actual fire-caused sprinkler head release

Leave a Reply.

Home
Our Cause

The Blog
The Forum

PE Exam Prep
The Toolkit
MeyerFire University

Pricing
Login
Support
Contact Us

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 a NICET Recognized Training Provider and International Code Council Preferred Education Provider.
All text, images, and media Copyright © 2016-2024 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.

Air Compressor Require Battery or Backup Power?

Leave a Reply.

ALL-ACCESS

SUBSCRIBE

COMMUNITY

YOUR POST

PE EXAM

FILTERS

ARCHIVES

PE PREP SERIES