Valve and Flow Switch for Trash Chute Riser?

2/29/2024

Does a trash chute sprinkler riser have to have its own control valve and flow switch?

I've only seen ones with a control valve (ball valve) only.

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10 Comments

Anthony

2/29/2024 07:15:20 am

I've never seen that come pre-installed. I wouldn't add the cost for it either. Usually trash rooms (where the chute empties out to) has a floor drain for washdowns that should be able to handle any errant sprinkler activation. So, if the concern is that you won't know which sprinkler head is flowing or that there will be flooding while the fire department and maintenance go looking I wouldn't worry about flood damage.

Franck

2/29/2024 08:08:53 am

As indicated by Anthony, this is not a requirement.
But it is not forbidden to do so as well.

A valve makes sense so that you don't impair the entire sprinkler system in case of activation of the only sprinkler(s) in the trash chute.
The flow switch can give you an additional information to where the problem happened. But it can be considered too costly compared to the benefit.

J GOLDEN

2/29/2024 08:24:25 am

ASK THE AHJ,
-WE REQUIRE A SEPERATE RISER WITH A CONTROL VALVE AND ALARM DEVICE DEPENDNG ON SYSTEM TYPE (WET/DRY).

-REASON IS ZONING, WE WANT TO KNOW IT IS AN ISOLATED CHUTE FIRE.

-IF YOU USE A HEAD OFF EACH FLOOR BY BRANCH LINE THAT FLOOR WILL INDICATE FLOW. IF TWO OR MORE HEADS IN THE CHUTE ACTIVATE NOW WE RECEIVE FLOW FROM MULTIPLE FLOORS,
-THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE FIRE DEPT TO LOCATE THE FIRE AREA.

Jesse

2/29/2024 08:38:19 am

I tend to avoid an autonomous riser for trash chute sprinklers and instead, feed them from the adjoining floor system. I can see the value in a isolation valve, but that adds expense and needs to be supervised. Some AHJs may require flow switches on trash chute sprinklers, but again that adds expense. Check with your AHJ.

In my experience as a firefighter, I've never had trouble figuring out where the activated sprinkler was. The water pouring out the bottom of the trash / laundry chute served as a clue.

Glenn Berger

2/29/2024 08:50:20 am

I have not seen a requirement requiring isolation valves or a dedicated flow switch for this application. Remember to have to the protective shielding installed.

Doug link

2/29/2024 09:13:17 am

In 20 years of inspecting fire alarm systems, I've seen many dozens of dedicated control valves for trash chute sprinklers. Most of them are tampered. (However, when I inspected a fire alarm system, any valve that affects a suppression system is either tampered, or it is written up on that fire alarm inspection.)

More often than not (to my experience), if there's a dedicated trash chute sprinkler system, there's a control valve.

Some of the trash chute sprinklers also have dedicated waterflow switches.

Pete H

2/29/2024 10:52:01 am

Gonna lean on all the "AHJ may vary" comment J Golden put on.

It's not an NFPA 13 requirement, but can often be an ordinance requirement.

If you are an AHJ, please don't use "solenoid" as the ordinance required control valve. There's no easy to come by listed 1" solenoid valve for fire protection (in my limited experience).

Dan Wilder

2/29/2024 12:14:40 pm

Based solely on your wording of "Trash chute sprinkler riser", which I am taking it as a dedicated riser for the trash chute, yes and no* for a flow switch/control valve. Need to know what the applicable IBC/IFC edition is. Unless there is some other requirement that I'm not seeing in the IFC, NFPA 13 or 82, it's not a requirement to be dedicated per chute.

As of the last EOD question referencing NFPA 13-2010, (June 2013 #6), there is no requirement for a dedicated system vs feeding single sprinklers on the floor the opening occurs on.

NFPA 13-22' defines a sprinkler system as having a control valve and waterflow (truncated definition) per 3.3.216.

So you could apply the Limited area sprinkler system per IFC from a single floor.

903.3.8 Limited area sprinkler systems.
903.3.8.1 Number of sprinklers.
Limited area sprinkler systems shall not exceed six sprinklers in any single fire area.

The 2012 Edition for the Number of sprinklers stated fewer than 20 and the 2015 has it revised down to 6 with the new section on "Limited Area" but also defines it to include Light and OH1 only.

Jack G

2/29/2024 03:58:50 pm

Please revisit “ Meyer fire “ 10-13-2021
“ how to hydraulically calculate a trash chute !”
And comments !
Answers everything.
Applies to linen and gravity chutes.
“

Jack G

2/29/2024 04:42:44 pm

Also: ( see above)
Sprinklers are required every other floor.
If a fire in the chute, depending on height, 2 or 3 may activate ( heads are shielded)
If installed at floor level, you won’t know if chute or floor.
I like the separate riser for. Isolation ( remove fire protection for floor(s) due to 1 or 2 chute sprinklers.
I also like connecting the chute sprinkler from its own riser with mechanical flex heads. Quicker to install.
Code requires calculations for 3 heads in a chute.
Easier off 1 riser.
My opinion, I ve seen a lot of these in 57 years, tinkered, tried different ways. Chute riser the best,

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Valve and Flow Switch for Trash Chute Riser?

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