Sprinkler Line Through Elevator Machine Room?

7/9/2019

Are you allowed to run a branch line through an elevator machine room? ASME 17.1 Section 2.8.2.3 clearly states that you can. Section 2.8.2.3.1 disallows only risers and returns. Am I missing something?

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7 Comments

Mike

7/9/2019 10:13:02 am

I don't have the text you refer to but in my experience you cannot run through it - i.e. enter and exit. Can only extend the fire sprinkler line into it.

Wayne Ammons

7/9/2019 11:06:14 am

I can't find anything that says you cannot run sprinkler piping through an elevator machine room. I do know that you CAN run sprinkler piping through an electrical room as long as you do not enter the dedicated electrical space or the working space of the electrical equipment. NFPA 13 added text and annex material to clarify this in the 2019 edition (section 9.2.6). Hopefully, someone familiar with ASME 17.1 can give some additional input.

Dan Wilder

7/9/2019 12:01:16 pm

ASME A17.1 Rules 2.8.3.3, 2.8.3.4, 2.8.3.5 (check your local adoptions and modifications)

-Sprinkler protection shall supply only branch lines into the machine/control room or control space
-Pipes or ducts conveying gases, vapors, or liquids that do not pertain to the elevator are prohibited
-Pipes (i.e. sprinkler) or similar equipment that contains liquid shall not be located directly above elevator or electrical equipment. Pipes shall not encroach upon any required clearances

Wayne Ammons

7/9/2019 12:33:11 pm

Dan, is there any annex material for the first rule "...shall supply only branch lines into..."? Does the word "into" imply that the branch line cannot pass through the room?

Dan Wilder

7/9/2019 06:01:17 pm

I only have some handouts that an elevator sub gave to me a while back. I don't own a full book so I can't speak to what they define as a Branch Line.

Mitchell O'Bryant

7/11/2019 10:54:07 am

Text from ASME A17.1 (2010)
2.8.3.1.2 - All risers and return pipes shall be located outside the hoistway. When the machinery space, machine room, control space, or control room is located above the roof of the building, heating pipes for the machinery space, machine room, control space, or control room shall be permitted to be located in the hoistway between the top floor and the machinery space, machine room, control space, or control room.

2.8.3.3 - Sprinkler systems conforming to NFPA 13 or the NBCC, shall be installed in the hoistway, machinery space, machine room, control space, or control roof subject to 2.8.3.3.1 through 2.8.3.3.4.

2.8.3.3.1 - All risers shall be located outside these spaces. Branch lines in the hoistway shall supply sprinklers at not more than one floor level. When the machinery spaces, machine room, control space, or control room is located above the roof of the building, risers and branch lines for these sprinklers shall be permitted to be located in the hoistway between the top floor and the machinery space, machine room, control space, or control room.

2.8.3.4 - Other pipes or ducts conveying gases, vapors, or liquid and not used in connection with the operation of the elevator shall not be installed in any hoistway, machinery space, machine room, control space, or control room. (It goes on to talk about above roof line spaces).

My take - I don't have a section 2.8.2.3 that you reference (likely different versions), but if the branch line is serving another space and simply routed through the machine room for convenience, I do not believe this is permitted.

Steven Lopez link

7/15/2019 03:48:21 pm

Upon further review I contacted our local state inspection office and asked for their interpretation of the code (I'm in California). They referenced Title 8 Industrial Relations code section 3012 (b); link here: - https://www.dir.ca.gov/Title8/3012.html
It reads very similarly to ASME A17.1 which can be found online here: https://ia800302.us.archive.org/26/items/gov.law.asme.a17.1.2004/asme.a17.1.2004.pdf

Ultimately they agreed that their was no where in the code that explicitly did not allow sprinkler pipe to pass through the machine room. However they informed me that the majority of all inspectors would flag it regardless and not allow it; as this has been common practice since the 80's.

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