|
Where in NFPA-72 OR 13 does it discuss the location of control panels for pre-action systems?
Is there any guidance? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
7 Comments
How do people do elevator recall during dust-producing construction/tenant fit-outs?
I have heard smoke detectors being replaced with temporary heat detectors. I have heard bag the smoke detectors (but keep it live) and install an adjacent heat detector so that flames could melt the plastic bag. How have people done this? Before people say ask the AHJ, I am an AHJ, and I am trying to keep my constituents safe and am waffling back and forth. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a project that is modifying an existing dry pipe sprinkler system to protect exterior paint-booth exhaust ductwork at a vehicle manufacturing facility, with large and complex ducts exposed to extreme temperatures. The owner prohibits the use of upright sprinklers.
Are there any listed dry pendent sprinklers available at 650°F (or comparable) suitable for exhaust duct protection? Is the use of dry pendents inside high-temperature exhaust ducts acceptable or recommended by manufacturers or NFPA standards (NFPA 13 / NFPA 33)? The owner is not allowing uprights on this project. Are there any viable alternate sprinkler or suppression methods that meet listing and code requirements? Is this application better addressed outside standard sprinkler protection? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Can a residential sprinkler be used in a building using NFPA 13 in lieu of NFPA 13R?
We have a hotel where a residential sprinkler is proposed with 0.05 gpm/sqft density, but the building is under NFPA 13. I'm rejecting it under 13 for the low density (believe it should be 0.10 gpm/sqft), but residential is permitted under a 13 building, correct? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe With the lithium ion battery problem, why not develop or use detection which sounds alarm if a hazard is developing?
Is that already a path people are recommending? Are there methods that already pick up on this? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe For a Paint Booth, mixing paint is taking place inside the space (1 gallon), and all applicable code items are in place, such as ventilation and sprinkler system (etc.).
If the mixer is pneumatic, is it required to be intrinsically safe? Looking for code or standard reference guidance either way. Thanks in advance! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Would you consider this (Easy Up canopy) an obstruction that can be written up during an NFPA 25 annual inspection? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe  I have a 10-story condo building with 70 units. Each floor has 7 units, and the unit doors open to an open-atmosphere walkway with two exit stairwells at each end.
Do each unit door that swings into the unit need self-closing hinges? Thanks in advance for your help or guidance with this. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is there a code or standard that requires inspection or testing, or preventative annual, quarterly or monthly maintenance of smoke management systems?
Is this spelled out somewhere and I'm just missing it? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have single/double row racks in a 21-ft high ceiling, with plastic totes filled with smaller plastic pill bottles. The totes are approximately 3-ft x 2-ft x 2-ft with three levels of racking.
Can I use NFPA 13, Section 25.8.1 (2019) with one level of horizontal barrier, between levels 2-3, and 1 level of k-8.0 in-racks at 6/60gpm at each sprinkler? If yes, would I then calculate the overhead, protecting the top level of totes, which would be 5' high (25.8.1.10)? Thanks in advance! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We find that the pressure and flow vary between the nameplate and the shop test curve of the UL-listed fire pump.
What is the allowable tolerance for the difference? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe What are the applicable requirements for speaker placement in high-rise Group R-2 buildings equipped with fire alarm or emergency voice/alarm communication systems, specifically regarding speakers inside dwelling or sleeping units?
What practices have you been applying or enforcing in these areas? Industry feedback suggests inconsistent approaches: some designs include speakers within bedrooms and living rooms, while others install speakers only in the corridors and rely on in-unit smoke-detector sounder bases for occupant notification, expecting residents to move into the corridor to hear prerecorded or live voice messages. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe When installing a mechanical tee, is there a requirement to hang the drilled core/coupon/blank at the seal?
Anything from NFPA, IFC, manufacturer's listing, or just best practice? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe The International Fire Code, Appendix B, describes one method for determining Fire Flow (water available at the site for manual firefighting via hydrants).
However, Appendix B is not enforceable unless it's specifically adopted. The 2024 IFC Section 507.3 simply states, "Fire-flow requirements for buildings or portions of buildings and facilities shall be determined by an approved method." Is Appendix B the only method actually used in practice in North America? If not, what alternative methods do you see adopted, or does your jurisdiction adopt? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a class IV product stored in a HDPE hard body package. With the changes from NFPA 13 2016, edition to the 2025 edition, there are significant changes to the ability to store Group A plastics in legacy warehouses.
What compliance strategies are available to the FP community to remain in compliance while storing in these legacy buildings? A typical warehouse I'll see will have K16.8 @52 psi. This used to be acceptable for group A, but now it is not an option per the newer standard. Typically we're looking at structures over 35 ft. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a warehouse sprinkler space where the owner has installed a Faraday-type cage (Ordinary Hazard I occupancy). The cage grid runs from floor to ceiling and is about 25% open space (75% obstructed).
I consider this cage as an obstruction, similar to a solid wall, and thus it ruins sprinkler coverage/spacing (standard spray sprinklers). However, I cannot find a code reference that addresses vertical grid obstructions or the acceptable percentage of open space for vertical grids. NFPA 13, 2019 Edition, Section 9.3.10 provides guidance for horizontal grid ceilings, and Section 10.2.7.2.2.1 is for grids in Light Hazard occupancies. Neither fit the bill. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We want to give a shout-out to our top Nov. contributors! Thank you for keeping the Forum a hot spot as we move into winter. Here are November's top contributors on the Forum:
From a designer's perspective, if a building is small and simple enough, and the owner doesn't care all too much about finishes, then locating a main fire alarm control panel and auxiliary equipment (like a transceiver) can often go near the front entry of a building.
In almost all other cases, I would prefer a back of house space. From an AHJ's perspective - what do you prefer to see for the main fire alarm control panel location? If the panel is anywhere but the front main entry, do you always mandate a fire alarm annunciator panel? NFPA 72 (2025 Edition) states that "All required annunciation means shall be located as required by the authority having jurisdiction to facilitate an efficient response to the situation." Is that your go-to reference to make sure that either the main panel or an annunciator is at the front entry? I understand the design side, but I'm interested in your thought process in terms of plan review and operationally what you would expect to see across a variety of projects. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do we have to use ESFR sprinklers under conveyors, which have slope, solely because the roof system is ESFR?
What code basis—if any—would actually require ESFR protection under conveyors in this situation? I am currently designing a sprinkler system renovation on a package sorting facility that we did the original conveyor design on 4 years ago. The existing 500,000 sqft open warehouse had (13) k-22 ESFR systems that we did not design. I designed all the systems for the catwalks, mezzanines, and under conveyors using Standard 5.6k quick response, standard spray sprinklers (Reliable RA1425) with shielding under open grate flooring. The new systems all have their own risers coming off the existing 10" manifolds. It was all hydraulically calculated and approved by the city. Now we are designing / renovating the conveyor systems because the client added, removed & moved a bunch of conveyors. I removed all sprinklers and pipe from the areas being changed, and most of the new or changed areas we able to reuse existing outlets that we had demolished pipe from. We used the same pipe sizing scheme, same type of sprinklers, and redid all hydraulic calculations. BUT now the plan reviewer is rejecting the plans citing: THE SPRINKLER PROTECTING THE BUILDING ARE CLASSIFIED AS ESFR, THE SPRINKLER PROTECTING THE AREA UNDER THE CONVEYORS SHALL BE OF THE SAME TYPE AS PER NFPA 13, 2019, SECTION 9.5.5.3.3. I responded with NFPA 13 20.6.2, ESFR are only approved to a slope of 2:12 and most of the conveyors are way past that; and noted again that that the existing system is 5.6k. To which he responded: THE SPRINKLER PROTECTING THE BUILDING ARE CLASSIFIED AS ESFR, THE SPRINKLER PROTECTING THE AREA UNDER THE CONVEYORS SHALL BE OF THE SAME TYPE AS PER NFPA 13, 2019, SECTION 9.5.5.3.3 WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSE TO THIS COMMENT, SECTION 20.6.2, WHICH ADDRESSED THE SLOPE OF THE ROOF NOT THE PROTECTION UNDER THE CONVEYOR. INDICATE WHICH STANDARD ADDRESSES THE HYDRAULIC CALCULATION FOR PROTECTION UNDER A CONVEYOR, WE CAN’T FIND THE SPECIFIC DESIGN CRITERIA FOR PROTECTION UNDER THE CONVEYOR USING ESFR SPRINKLERS. UNLESS THE SAME CRITERIA US FOR THE ROOF SYSTEM WILL APPLY UNDER THE CONVEYOR. Has anyone ever run into this? If have to use k-22 ESFR, it would be disastrous to the calcs, not to mention the existing system I am coming off of. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is there an NFPA 13 or 14 restriction for a combined sprinkler - standpipe dry system?
This is an open parking structure. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I am working on a project that is building and connecting an open parking ramp to an existing building via an open bridge. The open garage will be going next to an existing building (different from the one it will be connecting to).
Does the open parking ramp need a dry standpipe? It will be just over 69 feet tall, and it doesn't look like there are elevators within the enclosed stairwells from the architect's rendering. I don't have a CAD background to compare to yet. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a code official who is requiring a full-size water meter on the fire line preceding double check backflow.
The backflow has a 3/4" meter and a small check on it with electronic connection capability for the water department. Are there any applicable code/standard references that mandate this? A 6-inch meter on the fire line would run about $15k. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Does a zone control valve (floor control assembly) count towards the riser area limitation, as a sprinkler riser would? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe  Is it necessary to apply special sprinkler design criteria for a membrane building?
Tension fabric buildings with polyethylene membrane are becoming increasingly common. In this case, the fabric is rated per NFPA 701 and other certs, so it will not propagate fire, but the manufacturer advertises that it will melt/burn under direct flame and release smoke and heat. Would this not affect the operation of the building's sprinkler system? FM 1-59 requires quick response sprinklers, which makes a lot of sense, but provides little to no evidence in support. I can see no similar requirements in NFPA outside special requirements for aircraft hangars; NFPA 102 seems like the main standard and is silent on the subject. Is there something I'm missing in NFPA? Is there any research out there on sprinkler performance in membrane structures that will melt and release heat? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe |
ALL-ACCESS
SUBSCRIBESubscribe and learn something new each day:
COMMUNITYTop Dec '25 Contributors
YOUR POSTPE EXAMGet 100 Days of Free Sample Questions right to you!
FILTERS
All
ARCHIVES
January 2026
PE PREP SERIES |
RSS Feed
