Drain Locations for Fire Sprinkler & Standpipes?

1/9/2019

Working on a list of areas that should have or require drain connections for coordination with plumbing. Here's what I have:

(1) plumbing standpipe to accept main drain, where the main drain can't be routed to the outside,
(2) floor drains in riser room as good practice; required if there's a pump or RPZ-type backflow,
(3) plumbing standpipe to serve drainage from fire standpipes, where they can't be drained to the outside, and
(4) standpipe or floor drain for remote inspector's tests & drains, where they can't be drained to the outside.

What am I missing?

Posted anonymously by a member for discussion. Discuss this | Subscribe

10 Comments

Frank J. Herrick

1/9/2019 10:43:30 am

Ensure the if the 2" main drain is piped to a floor drain, the drain piping is large enough to accept the full open discharge without causing flooding.

If not run the 2" main drain to the outside, about 8-12" AFG.
Ensure the grade slopes away from the building.

Brian Gerdwagen FPE

1/9/2019 02:06:37 pm

Depending on the water company, their requirements may not allow sprinkler water to go to sanitary sewer and may require storm sewer, or vice-versa.

In California, all sprinkler water must go to sanitary to be treated before going to the ocean.

In Arkansas all sprinkler water must go to storm because the water company was not paid through metering to treat it.

Mike L

1/9/2019 07:48:03 pm

Inspector's test drain on sprinkler floor control valve assemblies.
For systems with PRV's, they must be sized to permit full flow testing.

Preaction systems

Drum drips on Dry systems

Juan Davila

1/29/2020 10:41:31 am

Does anybody have a reliable and accurate formula to figure out the flow through the 3" gang drain for a high rise standpipe with PRVs..?. This to size the floor drain properly and to pass along to the plumber?.
Also, when draining a system, you only drain one system per floor at a time when needed.
The annual testing of PRVs, would be the worst case scenario IMHO...250 gpm. out of each. The 500 gpm at the roof should be handled by the Rain storm drains, right?. Thank you kindly.

Dean Melanson

1/23/2019 10:13:56 am

Don't forget - however it get plumbed - that the drain is also used for an annual main drain flow test under system pressure. The location that this drains into must be able to withstand the pressure and flow.

Vinny Boves link

1/30/2019 06:45:41 pm

I have a wet sprinkler system fed by a combined standpipe/sprinkler riser by municipal water with a "brand new" fire pump in the basement. Question: Where should the main drain be installed? The municipal water enters the building and goes through the backflow preventer and then into the fire pump both being located in the fire pump room. Thereafter the riser goes to floor #1 and above. On the first floor there is a floor control valve with drain. I explained to property manager that a main drain is required in the fire pump room to test the adequacy of the water supply and drain the system. The installer agree with me but explained that is was not part of the drawing and he did not install one because he did not get paid for one. The property owner consulted with the engineer of record who said that the main drain is not in the fire code and that his plans got for the fire pump installation were approved by the Department of Building and he consulted with other more experienced engineers in his firm and was told that no main drain is required on the fire pump piping or in the pump room and if I want to drain the system or perform a main drain test I could do it from the first floor.
I appreciate your dedication to the industry and hope you can clarify the importance of the main drain and location when a fire pump is installed. There is plenty of information on system risers requirements but nothing I could find when there is no alarm check valve and a fire pump instead.
Thanks
Vinny

Joe Meyer

2/8/2019 07:02:38 am

Hi Vinny - good question.

I've posted this on the Daily forum to get a variety of input. You can see the post here:

https://www.meyerfire.com/daily/main-drain-for-fire-pump-in-basement

Thanks Vinny!

Gary

7/21/2020 10:57:51 am

I have a question for fire hose connections in cabinets. Is the plumbing sub required to provide a floor drain next to the cabinet?

mark

3/8/2022 05:33:11 pm

Is there a NFPA code section stating specifically that a hub drain is required in lieu of a floor sink for fire sprinkler risers.

Regards,
Mark

mariana

3/31/2023 04:29:15 pm

It does not say a hub is required necessarily, but where every it spills must be indirectly and the drain must be able to handle the capacity. Floor drains don't always meet the capacity requirements.

Code sections below are from NFPA 13-2016:

8.16.2.4.4
Drains shall discharge outside or to a drain connection capable of handling the flow of the drain. [See Figure A.8.17.4.1(b).]

8.16.2.4.5
For those drains serving pressure-reducing valves, the drain, drain connection, and all other downstream drain piping shall be sized to permit a flow of at least the greatest system demand supplied by the pressure-reducing valve.

A.8.17.4.1
In locations where it is not practical to terminate the test connection outside the building, the test connection is permitted to terminate into a drain capable of accepting full flow under system pressure.

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Drain Locations for Fire Sprinkler & Standpipes?

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