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Is there a specific code that requires an inspector's test on a fire sprinkler system to be at the most-remote part of the system, or is it only required at the riser near the main drain?
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Is the installation form of the control valve for the hydrant correct/allowed as shown? It is a wet barrel hydrant, and the owner wants to save costs by installing the control valve directly below the hydrant. How should the effective coverage area of the fire hydrant be considered? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe  We're installing a manual dry standpipe system that will have 12 psi of supervisory air. This is my first supervised dry standpipe in [redacted by original author to protect author's extreme age] years in the industry.
The FDC has 3 brass clappered snoots supplying a 6" main. I'm assuming we'll need to install a 6" rubber-faced check valve near the FDC to hold the air. However, you know what they say about 'assuming'. Therefore, I'll ask the FP Pro world: Is there any chance those brass clappers will hold 12psi of air? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe What is estimate life expectancy of a clean agent system before complete replacement?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a building where the 3rd floor is open to the structure. It is open-web joists (wood) with 2x6 members on top and bottom, and 1x6 supports. They are spaced 16" apart. The bottom of the joist elevation is parallel with the floor throughout, but the top varies, as the roof slopes slightly. I cannot come up with a passable solution to sprinkler this area, since the joists are too close together to pass the 3X rule, and the bottom of the joist is more than 22" below deck for the majority of the space. How would you approach this from a sprinkler design perspective, considering the obstruction rules as well as unobstructed vs obstructed construction? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe  In California (and other states), are diesel fire pumps subject to emissions requirements, or are they exempt?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe For a newly built steel smelting plant, how should the layout spacing and protection range of private fire hydrants be considered?
I have checked that NFPA 1 states the maximum spacing for "Buildings Other than Detached One- and Two-Family Dwellings" is no more than 500 feet, but NFPA 850 specifies a maximum spacing of 300 feet. Do both govern? If so, does the more-restrictive one apply? What should be the protection range of each hydrant? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe On a fire pump system that has a large PRV on it, should there be a test of just the fire pump, as in the fire pump annual test, and also separately a test with the pump through the PRV?
This would ensure that the reduced-pressure standpipe/ sprinklers work ( system acceptance ). Are these required to be separate tests, or can they be combined? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have always assumed that we only design for one fire in a building at a given time, and in a campus-style site with a single water supply, a fire in one building only.
Is that written anywhere, or just the agreed-upon practice? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do I need a separate 6" fire line to a building sprinkler system, and a second water line for all other uses?
This is for an NFPA 13 system. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe The IBC section 403.3.3 requires an automatic on-site secondary water supply for high-rise buildings in seismic zone C or greater.
Does NFPA have a similar requirement for on-site water storage in a seismic zone? All I can find are the bracing requirements in NFPA 13, but I am not seeing anything in NFPA 101 or NFPA 5000. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do all wet systems require an FDC?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Our project is a school campus with nine buildings.
The Civil Engineer has designed the underground so that three buildings are controlled from a single PIV and an FDC. Additionally, they want butterfly valves on each fire sprinkler riser. Does shutting off three buildings become an issue, and is this within the NFPA 13 parameters to dictate this one way or another? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe What is an appropriate hazard classification for bowling lanes?
The current design was originally pipe schedule in certain portions, but has been cut up with new pipe sizing. The spacing is between 100-130 SF. Not sure if this would fall under OH1 or OH2. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe You keep raising the bar! Here are the Top Contributors on the Forum for May.
Where can I find guidance for fire flow for an outdoor lumberyard?
The IBC, Appendix B and C are for Buildings. It specifically says: "This appendix does not apply to structures other than buildings." Is there anything in the FM data sheets, or elsewhere? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is CPVC pipe allowed to be used in a tempered space, residential attic?
It's four 8-units attached side by side with a common supply and can be individually isolated. It's monitored by a full central station alarm system. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a condominium (3 story, 18 units), with an original 20-year-old Gast model 2LAF-12-M200X.
Complaint from the unit sharing an adjacent wall to the sprinkler room. The compressor repeatedly turns on and off only during the early morning hours, between 2 and 4 AM. We have monitored and seen nothing but normal activity during the day. Is this possible? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do dual electrical feeds from two separate sources (same service provider, two different substations) with a UPS storage battery system that will support full load for 4+ hours meet the requirements for fire alarm secondary power?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is it mandatory to install a strainer at the suction pipe of a fire pump?
Or are there specific criteria in NFPA for horizontal centrifugal pumps to determine under what circumstances a strainer may not be required at the suction pipe? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have an office building where we have performed hydraulic calculations for a light hazard occupancy, using a design density of 0.10 gpm/ft² over a remote area of 1,500 ft².
However, our calculations require 20 sprinklers to cover this area, which is huge. Typically, there are only 7 sprinklers (at -215 ft² per sprinkler) that are sufficient for 1,500 ft². The issue comes because the office has many small rooms, each with its own sprinkler, increasing the total number within the remote area. The output is higher at 439 gpm with 20 sprinklers. How can we correctly define the remote area to bring down the overall flow bust still comply with NFPA 13? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We are on the AHJ side, and Middle Housing requirements are on their way to increase density and reduce the cost of housing in our area. This will allow existing single-family residences to subdivide their lots, which may have up to four additional dwelling units on a parcel.
In anticipation of this, we are exploring options for residential fire sprinkler requirements beyond our already existing code for these small, ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) type structures of 1,000 sqft maximum. We would like to maximize the possibilities of this by making the process as easy and inexpensive as possible. One avenue we are interested in is allowing for P2904 flow through sprinkler systems (Section P2904 of the IRC, prescriptive standard for one- and two-family dwellings) that can be installed by a plumber. We are open to omitting the fire plan review process and possibly even a bucket test, but still inspect for head placement, tenting, etc. What are your thoughts? Has anyone looked at this with any degree of success? We would love to hear any feedback you could provide. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe |
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