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Can I add a fire pump to my combination Manual wet standpipe and sprinkler system and still use a manual wet standpipe?
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I have a fire pump rated at 100 psi at 1000 GPM. The curve for the pump is starts at 125 psi and goes to 0 GPM. I know 140% is the 125 PSI. On my hydraulic calculations should I use the 140% pump curve or should I use the 100% Pump curve? Where in NFPA 13/20 can I find this guidance?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Which of the following agents are not used for metal fires containing magnesium? a. Boron Trifluoride b. Boron Trichloride c. Argon d. Nitrogen Solution | Posted 09/30/19
Can anyone confirm that a "skillet" as mentioned in NFPA 13, 2013 Edition Section A.10.10.2.2.6 is the same thing as a spectacle blind flange?
10.10.2.2.6* Hydrostatic Testing Allowance. Where additional water is added to the system to maintain the test pressures required by 10.10.2.2.1, the amount of water shall be measured and shall not exceed the limits of Table 10.10.2.2.6, which are based upon the following equation... A.10.10.2.2.6 The use of a blind flange or skillet is preferred for use when hydrostatically testing segments of new work. Metal-seated valves are susceptible to developing slight imperfections during transport, installation, and operation and thus can be likely to leak more than 1 fl oz/in. (1.2 mL/mm) of valve diameter per hour. For this reason, the blind flange should be used when hydrostatically testing. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I understand per guidance in the annex of NFPA 13 (2016 edition, A.5.3.2(25)) stages are an example of an OH2 hazard, but would this apply in an auditorium/theater with a platform (no curtains)?
5.3.2.1 Ordinary hazard (Group 2) occupancies shall be defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies where the quantity and combustibility of contents are moderate to high, stockpiles of contents with moderate rates of heat release do not exceed 12 ft (3.7 m), and stockpiles of contents with high rates of heat release do not exceed 8 ft (2.4 m). A.5.3.2 Ordinary hazard (Group 2) occupancies include occupancies having uses and conditions similar to the following: (25) Stages I'm not quite clear why a stage is considered an ordinary hazard instead of a light hazard. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A cotton production facility has areas of the production where fibers are considered easily ignitable. Which of the following trucks is not permitted in these areas? a. Diesel Type DY b. Electric Type EE c. Diesel Type DS d. Electric Type EX Solution | Posted 09/26/19
Is it permissible to serve both an automatic dry sprinkler system and a dry automatic standpipe via the same dry pipe valve?  With all our submittals we are required to have a PE review and stamp before submitting to the AHJ.
Has anyone else wondered why it takes two business weeks to get review and approval? I appreciate the statement that they are being reviewed for quality control yet when I've found errors with approved city drawings and they have no responsibility. Any opinions? Anyone seeing "pay the fee" and getting immediate AHJ approval? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A 2 inch main drain (considered smooth opening) is opened to full drain capacity for a system with a pressure of 95 PSI. Approximately how much water (in gpm) will the drain flow assuming no friction loss? a. 420 gpm b. 925 gpm c. 1165 gpm d. 1460 gpm Solution | Posted 09/24/19
 The Leaderboard lists the top total scores for the most recent three weekly exams for PE Prep Series participants. See the entire scoreboard here.  Want to join in? It's not too late - the PE Prep Series is the ultimate PE Prep tool. It's a series of 1-hour, 10-question simulated PE Exams offered weekly with solutions immediately following each exam. Learn more here. Every week of the series is retroactive so you can still test yourself with past week exams
I have a few different contractor clients who all operate a little differently. I'd be very interested in others' opinions, especially where it's not a consensus.
When you stocklist, do you pre-cut (1) drops, (2) hanger rods, and/or (3) sprigs? I've heard different philosophies for different companies. If there's a consistent flat structure then I could see cutting hanger rods in the shop as a time saver, but what's your take? Obviously if the designer gets the measurement wrong or something changes in the field, then there could be far more labor in correcting the pre-cuts then there would be if they were measured and ordered from the field. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I wonder if you could help me with this we tested a fire pump last week using mini hose monsters. The hose monsters were at an elevation 46’ higher than the pump outlet.
Are there any calcs that I need to do to get an accurate test? In elevation this is a 20 psi loss plus 130’ of piping to reach the test header (one size larger than required) 8” for a 1000 gpm pump. Any help would be appreciated. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I'm only a year into the industry, and I'm still pretty green but hungry to learn.
If you could give one piece of advice to your former self who is one year into the industry, what would it be? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Inergen (IG-541) is being used for protection of several rooms which contain highly valuable historic documents. If the fire type is considered Class A and the design concentration of Inergen is provided, determine the clean agent-air mixture density. a. 1.15 kg/cu. m b. 1.25 kg/cu. m c. 1.28 kg/cu. m d. 1.44 kg/cu. m Solution | Posted 09/19/19
Can anyone provide me some guidance on how to determine whether or not a chemical fume hood, and associated ductwork, requires sprinkler protection?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe An architectural detail for a project we're bidding shows EIFS being used to wrap the outside of a large overhang above a pickup/drop off area for a building.
We're looking at whether sprinklers are required below the canopy, and the applicable section that would apply to omit sprinklers would be NFPA 13-2016 8.15.7.3: "8.15.7.3 Sprinklers shall be permitted to be omitted from below the exterior projections of combustible construction, provided the exposed finish material on the exterior projections are noncombustible, limited-combustible, or fire retardant–treated wood as defined in NFPA 703..." My question is, is EIFS considered combustible or limited-combustible? As best I can tell it's considered combustible but am interested if others have already dug into this in more detail. Thanks in advance. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe For a performance-based design, a fire protection consultant makes an assumption that the production rate of carbon monoxide for a modeled fire package is equal to the highest production rate of each of the component fuels. This assumption would be considered: a. explicit safety factor b. implied safety factor c. total safety factor d. no safety factor Solution | Posted 09/17/19
 The Leaderboard lists the top total scores for the most recent three weekly exams for PE Prep Series participants. See the entire scoreboard here.  Want to join in? It's not too late - the PE Prep Series is the ultimate PE Prep tool. It's a series of 1-hour, 10-question simulated PE Exams offered weekly with solutions immediately following each exam. Learn more here. Every week of the series is retroactive so you can still test yourself with past week exams
You are hanging pipe and you need to install a trapeze hanger on a retrofit project (no seismic requirements).
One joist/beam is above and the 2nd is on the other side of a full height wall. Can you penetrate that wall, with your trapeze, to hang off the other beam? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe The worst expected symptoms for humans when concentration of carbon monoxide reaches 1600 parts per million is which of the following: a. no adverse effects for up to 8 hours of exposure b. dizziness after 45 minutes of exposure c. nausea, headache, and dizziness after 20 minutes of exposure d. unconsciousness and danger of death after 10-15 minutes of exposure Solution | Posted 09/16/19
I had always thought that couplings didn't need to be calculated under NFPA 13, but I'm reviewing a set of calculations which show 1-foot of schedule 40 equivalent for each coupling. This is for a 4-inch main with roll-groove couplings. Any ideas?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Does anyone else know of other one-piece stainless steel risers besides those made by AMES?
At my company we seem to be experiencing issues with some that are not made in America. Besides AMES, I'm not sure who else makes them. For the sprinkler installers out there, do you prefer installing these components rather than a traditional riser stub out from the ground into the building? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe There's a varying degree of specifications out there - but I've never really seen it openly discussed or defended.
Some organizations (such as military, many healthcare clients) require schedule 40 for pipe 1 through 2 inches in diameter. Some engineers hardly compile specifications and place no requirements on the pipe thickness. Some projects only allow schedule 40 or even schedule 80. If you're an engineer, what is your basis for recommending different pipe thicknesses for different clients? Is corrosion the only reason why the thicker pipe diameter is specified for your clients? Would be really interested in understanding the reasoning (one way or another) for specifying different pipe thicknesses on suppression systems. Thanks in advance. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A theater has aisles serving its main seating area. One of the aisles has a stair 49 inches wide, with a wall and handrail on one side and fixed seating on the other. If the handrail has a center-line of 4 inches from the wall, what is the effective width of the stair? a. 35.5 in. b. 41.5 in. c. 43 in. d. 45 in. Solution | Posted 09/11/19
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