MeyerFire
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • TOOLKIT
    • ALL TOOLS
    • BUY THE TOOLKIT
  • UNIVERSITY
    • ALL COURSES
    • JOIN THE UNIVERSITY
  • PE Exam
    • PE Forum & Errata
    • PE Store
    • PE Tools
    • PE PREP SERIES
    • PE 100-Day Marathon
  • LOGIN
    • TOOLKIT-ONLY LOGIN
    • UNIVERSITY LOGIN
  • PRICING
    • SOFTWARE & TRAINING
    • STORE
  • OUR CAUSE
    • ABOUT MEYERFIRE
    • JOB OPENINGS
    • BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR
    • HELP/SUPPORT
Picture

When Use Standpipe Pressure Reducing Valves?

11/29/2019

5 Comments

 
On a combination Class I standpipe/sprinkler riser with automatic standpipes, what is your process to determine exactly where pressure reducing valves should be used?

​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
5 Comments

Use Idle Pallet or Group A Plastic in Piles Criteria?

11/28/2019

1 Comment

 
I am looking for some options on the following and if anyone has code to backup reasons. We have a facility that produces plastic pallets. Some pallets are reinforced and some are not.

They want to store to pallets to 18 feet high before loading them on trucks.

The question being should the facility be protected using NFPA 13 (2016) Section 12.12 dealing with idle pallets or just use Group A plastics in piles?

​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

Sprinklers Req'd Above Ceilings With Openings?

11/27/2019

8 Comments

 
Got a question regarding sprinkler protection above hung ceilings. NFPA-13 states that sprinkler protection is NOT required above hung ceilings if the area above has non-combustibles even with small openings in the ceiling.

However, I seem to recall a requirement that if there are large openings in the hung ceiling, sprinklers are required above the ceiling, but only for a certain distance in from the edge of the opening.

Thoughts on what section provides that distance?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
8 Comments

When Is the 4-ft Sprinkler Obstruction Rule Met?

11/26/2019

5 Comments

 
NFPA 13 (2016 Edition) Section 8.5.5.3 requires sprinklers to be installed underneath fixed obstructions over 4ft (48") in width and provides no further information on how that 4ft width is determined to be an obstruction. For most situations this is rather straightforward, but the open ended 4ft wide requirement leaves quite a few obstructions up to interpretation.

With that being said, how is it determined that an obstruction such as a duct, can be considered unobstructed if it is 40" wide by 6ft long, but if it is 48" wide by 3ft long, it is considered an obstruction? How is the obstruction rule only applied to the width of a piece of equipment and in turn is not applied to the length?

Is there a ratio or rule of thumb that is widely used to determine whether an item hanging below the ceiling is considered to violate the 4ft rule?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
5 Comments

Requirements for Exterior Fire Alarm Strobes?

11/25/2019

1 Comment

 
Are there special requirements for fire alarm strobes on the exterior parts of the building (courtyards, etc)? Thinking that direct sunlight may interfere with the strobe.

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

Determine if Material is Suitable for a Building?

11/22/2019

1 Comment

 
​I know a material (with a certain published flame spread index and smoke development index).

How I can determine if it is suitable for a building?

Specifically, how can I determine which types of buildings it would be suitable for (apartments, industrial, educational, etc.)?

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

What Does "PE" Stand for? Why Not "FPE"?

11/21/2019

9 Comments

 
This might seem a silly question, but most folk, even sprinkler manufacturer's tech support, don’t know what PE stands for.  Can you please set me straight? Why not FPE?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
9 Comments

How to Determine Fire Alarm Conduit Size?

11/20/2019

2 Comments

 
I do inspections for fire alarm systems. It's not something that is brought up often and is generally not an issue, but I am trying to educate myself on what the correct procedure is to determine the conduit size for fire alarm.

Could someone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
2 Comments

Room Design 5-Sprinkler Apply to Tee'd Corridor?

11/19/2019

1 Comment

 
I just got one in to review where the designer used the Room Design method for am NFPA 13 retirement home corridor, but did not use the Corridor 5-sprinkler provision. He was considering the corridor the "room", but really didn't even include the entire corridor. I think I can help him out by directing him to the 5-sprinkler corridor methods (opening protection doesn't even come into play). It is a corridor protected by a single row, BUT another corridor tees off it at 90-degrees.

Do these "tee" intersections negate the "single row" provision?

Each leg IS protected by a single row so I'm thinking this does not negate the intent. Thoughts?

​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

Hex Beams Considered Obstructed Combustible?

11/18/2019

1 Comment

 
Has anyone dealt with a building structure comprised of steel hexagonal castellated beams spaced 36" apart with a wood plank deck?

Would this be considered obstructed combustible construction?

Also, has anyone seen a combustible concealed space head which is "listed" for such structure?

​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

Are Drops & Sprigs Included in Zone of Influence?

11/15/2019

2 Comments

 
When doing zone of influence calculations, NFPA 13 doesn't seem to be specific about whether the weight of drops and sprigs should be included in the weight of the branch line tributary to the lateral brace on the cross main. It states "The zone of influence for lateral braces shall include all branch lines and mains tributary to the brace, except branch lines that are provided with longitudinal bracing or as prohibited by 9.3.5.9.6.1" (NFPA 13, 2016 Edition, Section 9.3.5.9.6)

This ambiguity is frustrating because long drops are quite heavy and can double the weight in the calculation if they are included. It seems like some argument could be made that they aren't "tributary" to the lateral load because they can "swing" independently, but should their influence be considered negligible?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
2 Comments

When Do Fire Rated Walls Need to Run to Deck?

11/14/2019

3 Comments

 
Do all rated walls (fire partition, fire barrier, fire wall) need to run to the floor deck or roof to the next story above? 

Is there any scenario where we can put a rated lid and not continue the rated partition or fire barrier up to the deck above? 

This project is under IBC 2015, but I'm just looking for guidance on where I can get this answered in the future. Thanks in advance.

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
3 Comments

When Does Standpipe Require Seismic Bracing?

11/13/2019

3 Comments

 
Can someone explain the process for determining if a standpipe system needs to be designed for seismic considerations?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
3 Comments

What is Existing Fire Resistance Rating of Wall?

11/12/2019

5 Comments

 
We have 2x4 wood studs which are spaced 16-inches on center. There's a layer of 3/8" gypsum board on each side, plus on one side there's 1 layer of 3/8" plywood (douglas fir).

How do I determine the fire resistance rating of this partition assembly?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
5 Comments

Code Requirement for Cable Fire-Resistant Paint?

11/11/2019

1 Comment

 
One of our client requires fire resistance paint for cables in cable cellar, fire stops and fire door.

Can anyone suggest me which code or standard to be referred for designing these passive fire protection systems?

​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
1 Comment

Requirements for Pressure Gauge Selection?

11/8/2019

6 Comments

 
Looking for guidance on pressure gauge selection. Is there a requirement for a maximum pressure gauge for testing residual pressures of 40-50 psi on suppression systems?

Wondering if any pressure gauge is adequate or if there's specific guidance I should be following on gauge selection.

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
6 Comments

What Ceiling Types Require Sprinkler Clearance?

11/7/2019

2 Comments

 
Clearance around fire sprinklers - NFPA 13 (2016) addresses clearance around sprinklers in 9.3.4.11, A.9.3.4.11, and 9.3.4.11.1. The language is very vague & ambiguous. Could anyone elaborate on this for me?

What type of ceilings needs to have clearance around fire sprinklers when using hard pipe (not flex drops)?

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
2 Comments

Sprinkler Design Criteria for Stacked Hay Bales?

11/6/2019

6 Comments

 
Does anyone have any experience with determining an appropriate design criteria for protecting rectangular hay bales stacked to about 20 ft. in a 25-30 ft. metal purlin building?

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
6 Comments

Use CPVC for Fire Sprinkler Drain Pipe?

11/5/2019

4 Comments

 
Can we use CPVC pipe material for the inspector's test and main drain?

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
4 Comments

Firestop F, T, L Ratings for 2-Hour Fire Barrier?

11/4/2019

2 Comments

 
I have a 2-hour fire rated barrier and need to choose code-compliant firestop. The firestop has different ratings (F, T, and L) - which is applicable?

Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
2 Comments

Big Thanks to Top October Contributors!

11/4/2019

 
Thanks to the people who continue to make this community an excellent resource for fire protection professionals. Here's to the top commenters for October 2019:
1. AMR
2. SK
3. Nic
​4. Wayne Ammons
5. Paul Pinigis
6. Shawn B.
​7. Jimmy
8. Richard Koenig
9. Sean
​10. Franck Orset

Calculation Needed for Fire Pump Test Off Roof?

11/1/2019

3 Comments

 
When testing a fire pump from the roof is there a calculation that is necessary to ensure that the flow test is accurate (given pipe sizes, elevation increase, etc)?

NFPA 25, 2014 handbook states that flowing from the roof in the explanatory material is somewhat acceptable (NFPA 25, 2014: 8.3.3.1.3). However, NFPA 20, 2013 A.4.20.3.4(2) has a sample hydraulic calculation sheet for sizing the test header when not using the table which appears to take into account items like friction loss, elevation, etc.

​​​​Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
3 Comments
    SUBMIT A QUESTION
    Picture
    Why Sponsor?

    ALL-ACCESS

    Picture
    GET ALL OUR TOOLS

    SUBSCRIBE

    Subscribe and learn something new each day:
    I'm Interested In:

    COMMUNITY

    Top May '25 Contributors
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    SEE LEADERBOARD

    YOUR POST

    SUBMIT A QUESTION

    PE EXAM

    Get 100 Days of Free Sample Questions right to you!
    SIGN ME UP!

    FILTERS

    All
    A1171
    ABA
    ADA
    ASCE 7
    ASME A17.1
    ASTM E1354
    Blog Thread
    Daily Discussion
    Design-documents
    EN 12845
    Explosion Protection
    Explosion-protection-prevention
    Fire Detection And Alarm Systems
    Fire Dynamics
    Flammable And Combustible Liquids
    Flammable-combustible-liquids
    FM Global
    Human-behavior
    IBC
    ICC 500
    IEBC
    IFC
    IMC
    IPC
    IRC
    ISO
    Means Of Egress
    NBC
    NFPA 1
    NFPA 10
    NFPA 101
    NFPA 11
    NFPA 110
    NFPA 1142
    NFPA 1221
    NFPA 13
    NFPA 13D
    NFPA 13R
    NFPA 14
    NFPA 15
    NFPA 16
    NFPA 17A
    NFPA 20
    NFPA 2001
    NFPA 214
    NFPA 22
    NFPA 220
    NFPA 24
    NFPA 241
    NFPA 25
    NFPA 291
    NFPA 30
    NFPA 307
    NFPA 30B
    NFPA 31
    NFPA 33
    NFPA 37
    NFPA 400
    NFPA 409
    NFPA 415
    NFPA 45
    NFPA 495
    NFPA 497
    NFPA 5000
    NFPA 502
    NFPA 54
    NFPA 55
    NFPA 654
    NFPA 68
    NFPA 70
    NFPA 701
    NFPA 72
    NFPA 75
    NFPA 770
    NFPA 82
    NFPA 855
    NFPA 90A
    NFPA 92
    NFPA 96
    NICET
    OBC
    OSHA
    Passive Building Systems
    PE Prep Guide
    PE Prep Series
    PE Sample Problems
    Poll
    Smoke Management
    Special Hazard Systems
    UFC 3-600-01
    UFC 4-021-01
    UFC 4-211-01
    UPC
    Updates
    Water Based Fire Suppression
    Weekly Exams


    ARCHIVES

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 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
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016


    PE PREP SERIES

    SEE LEADERBOARD

    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 a NICET Recognized Training Provider and International Code Council Preferred Education Provider.

All text, images, and media ​Copyright © 2016-2025 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
  • TOOLKIT
    • ALL TOOLS
    • BUY THE TOOLKIT
  • UNIVERSITY
    • ALL COURSES
    • JOIN THE UNIVERSITY
  • PE Exam
    • PE Forum & Errata
    • PE Store
    • PE Tools
    • PE PREP SERIES
    • PE 100-Day Marathon
  • LOGIN
    • TOOLKIT-ONLY LOGIN
    • UNIVERSITY LOGIN
  • PRICING
    • SOFTWARE & TRAINING
    • STORE
  • OUR CAUSE
    • ABOUT MEYERFIRE
    • JOB OPENINGS
    • BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR
    • HELP/SUPPORT