Sprinkler Required in Recessed Closet with Door?

11/12/2018

I've come across several retail projects where there will be a "closet" that is just solid shelves about 18-24 inches deep and about four or five shelves tall, with a mirror across the front that acts as a door. It's certainly possible to provide a sprinkler outside of the closet and protect to the back of the hazard, but is this approach allowed?

To me it doesn't seem practical to provide a sprinkler at the top inside this shallow unit just as we wouldn't provide a sprinkler within the inside of cabinetry. If anything, the multiple solid shelves could prevent heat from collecting at the top and water from effectively reaching the bottom, although the door could also prevent discharge from reaching the bottom. Curious how others would approach these situations.

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2 Comments

sean

11/12/2018 09:17:07 am

Is it a closet or cabinetry. It makes a difference per the code.

WES

11/12/2018 10:53:51 am

This sounds like it would be allowed for omission by NFPA 13 8.1.1(7), as it is similar to furniture, trophy cases, or similar features. As always it'd probably be a discussion with the AHJ for the best approach -

NFPA 13 8.1.1(7) (2016 Edition): Furniture, such as portable wardrobe units, cabinets, trophy cases, and similar features not intended for occupancy, does not require sprinklers to be installed in them. This type of feature shall be permitted to be attached to the finished structure.

Protection would need to occur to the wall behind, per NFPA 13 8.5.3.2.3:

NFPA 13 8.5.3.2.3 (2016) The distance from the wall to the sprinkler shall be measured to the wall behind furniture, such as wardrobes, cabinets, and trophy cases.

To Sean's point - since there's no space to "occupy" the area in between the front face of the shelf and the door, so I'm not sure that it functions like a typical walk-in closet. That being said, NFPA 13 doesn't define closet or cabinet nor does the NFPA Glossary of Terms - https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Codes-and-standards/Glossary-of-terms/glossary_of_terms_2018.ashx?la=en

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