![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprinkler SystemsPlanet Earth – Fire Sprinklers Save Lives and The Earth By ARA http://cfc.wjla.com/affinity/affarticle.cfm?id=41 (ARA) - Home fire sprinkler systems save lives, reduce property damage and cut homeowner insurance premiums. These are facts few people debate. According to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, a non-profit educational organization, you can reduce the risk of death in a home fire by a whopping 82 percent by installing smoke alarms in combination with a fire sprinkler system. Wet – Wet type systems are the most common type of sprinkler system that is installed. A wet pipe system has water in the pipes in the ambient or normal condition and has heat responsive elements on all sprinklers. Thus, water is instantaneously discharged from a sprinkler when it actuates.
Dry – In areas where low temperatures could cause a wet pipe system to freeze, a dry pipe system is intended for use. Dry pipe systems are pressurized with air in the ambient condition and experience an inherent delay in the discharge of water to allow the pressurized air in the system to escape. When a sprinkler actuates, air is released through the sprinkler, allowing water to flow into the piping system through the dry pipe valve. NFPA 13 mandates that the time for the water to reach the most remote sprinkler be no longer than 60 seconds. This time delay allows the fire to grow larger than it would with a wet pipe system of similar design, and the larger fire size results in more sprinklers in the fire area actuating. To limit the size of dry pipe systems, a volumetric limitation with a maximum capacity of 750 gallons is placed on dry pipe systems. A quick opening device, such as an accelerator or an exhauster, is installed to rapidly remove air from the system and speed the operation of the dry pipe valve and is required when the system volumetric capacity exceeds 500 gallons.
Pre-action and Deluge – Pre-action systems and deluge systems required fire detectors (smoke, heat, etc.) for the actuation of the system. A deluge system uses open sprinklers or nozzles, so that all flow water is discharged when the deluge valve actuates. Deluge systems can be used for occupancies where the hazard is considered severe, such as with flammable liquid hazards where the fire could spread over a large floor area. Pre-action system have closed heads and pipes filled with pressurized air that supervise a piping system, and can be considered for the protection of valuable assets or irreplaceable property. The detection system for a pre-action system can be designed to prevent water discharge in cases of a false alarm from the detection system, or in case of a sprinkler whose element has encountered mechanical damage. The detection system on a pre-action system can be designed with a pre-action logic capable of meeting one of the following objectives: -Actuation of a fire detector trips a deluge valve to admit water into the sprinkler piping to await the actuation of a sprinkler. -Actuation of a fire detector or actuation of a heat-responsive element on a sprinkler trips a deluge valve to admit water into the sprinkler piping. -Actuation of a fire detector and actuation of a heat-responsive element on a sprinkler trips a deluge valve to admit water into the sprinkler piping.
Myth: When a sprinkler system actuates, all sprinklers on the system go off at the same time. FACT: Each sprinkler has a heat-sensitive element with a predetermined temperature and sensitivity that responds individually to heat from a fire. Only those sprinklers in the immediate vicinity of the fire actuate and discharge water. It is not uncommon for only one or two sprinklers to go off in a fire. Myth: Sprinkler systems cause excessive water damage. FACT: In most cases, water flowing from a sprinkler causes much less damage than the fire would have caused in the absence of the sprinkler. A fire has the potential to completely destroy a building, and sprinkler systems have a solid record of performance in saving lives and property, with minimal water damage. It is also important to note that the water damage from a fire hose operated by the fire service during fire fighting operations in an unsprinklered building could greatly exceed water damage from a sprinkler, because the rate of discharge from a fire hose is several times the rate of discharge from a sprinkler. Myth: Sprinkler systems don’t work. FACT: Most studies of sprinkler system effectiveness show that sprinkler systems are between 98% and 99.8% effective in the control of fire. The majority of incidences of ineffectiveness are related primarily to the failure of building owners in keeping sprinkler control valves in the open position. Myth: Automatic fire detection systems are an acceptable substitute for sprinklers: FACT: Automatic fire detection systems do not control or suppress a fire and are not a substitute for an automatic sprinkler system. Detection systems have a good record of providing notification, but do not provide suppression. Myth: Accidental sprinkler discharge is common. FACT: Sprinklers have an impressive history of reliable service in an emergency and discharge in the absence of a fire is very rare. Myth: Sprinkler systems cost too much. FACT: Sprinkler system are not prohibitively expensive. They usually are only a small fraction of the total cost for a building. It is not uncommon for an owner of a commercial property to recover the cost of the sprinkler system in 5 to 10 years through insurance rate reductions. A residential sprinkler system connected to a public water costs about $1.16 per square foot, less than the cost of most carpets. Myth: Sprinklers are ugly. FACT: Sprinkler systems can be designed to maintain the beauty of a building. Pipes can be concealed above ceilings or behind soffits, and sprinklers can be selected from a wide range of aesthetic models. Ornamental and decorative sprinklers are available that allow concealment above the ceiling with only a small plate showing below the ceiling, with a wide range of factory-applied colors. While sprinklers can be concealed, management of a building may elect to use a visible presence of sprinklers as a sales tool to emphasize life safety in a building, especially hotels. Spray sprinklers are manufactured in three basic styles. A standard spray upright (SSU) sprinkler is mounted on upright above a branch line pipe, usually in a room with exposed structural elements, and has a deflector, a metal plate whose edge is distinctively bent to deflect water downward from the sprinkler. A standard spray pendant (SSP) sprinkler is mounted below the branch line, usually mounted at or below the surface of a suspended ceiling and is characterized by a flat deflector. SSU and SSP discharge patterns are designed to be the same. Sidewall sprinklers have a specifically designed deflector that allows the sprinkler to discharge water from a wall-mounted position. Variations on upright, pendant, and sidewall sprinkler are the dry upright, dry pendant, and dry sidewall sprinklers. These special sprinklers are manufactured with a seal at the inlet that prevents water from entering the nipple until the sprinkler actuates. These sprinklers can be extended from a wet pipe system into an unheated area, such as a walk-in freezer, an outside loading dock, or an unheated attic space, or can be used in the pendant position on a dry pipe system to prevent condensation from entering the sprinkler and freezing. Pendant Head Upright Head Sidewall head Concealed Head Dry Pendant Head Sprinkler Head Temperature Ratings
Another development in sprinkler manufacturing is the extended coverage sprinkler. The deflectors on these sprinklers are designed to discharge water over larger areas than standard sprinklers. While this means that each sprinkler must have a higher flow, it results in increased allowable distance between sprinklers, with the possibility that fewer sprinklers may be required in a compartment given size. A major development in sprinkler technology was the quick response sprinkler, a sprinkler with a specially designed response element that allows the rapid transfer of heat to the heat-responsive element and provides a more expeditious delivery of water to the fire. At the time of sprinkler actuation, the fire should be smaller with a quick response sprinkler than with a standard response sprinkler, resulting in fewer sprinklers likely to actuate. Sprinkler elements are either glass bulbs or eutectic (soldered) elements. The response of quick response and standard response sprinklers can be modeled by designers to estimate the time for a sprinkler to actuate, given ceiling height, fire size, and response time index (RTI), using the DETACT computer program, developed by the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Response time index is a measure of the sensitivity of a sprinkler heat responsive element, with low RTI values being very sensitive to actuation by heat, and high RTI values being less sensitive. Sprinkler for Storage Applications ESFR and large Drop sprinklers are for specialized high challenge fire hazards. An ESFR sprinkler has a quick response element and an extra large orifice that allows for greater amounts of water to be applied early in the fire development, usually on a high challenge fire. Large drop sprinklers have large deflectors with widely spaced teeth to facilitate the creation of large water drops intended to penetrate a high velocity fire plume without evaporating, resulting in some water reaching the burning materials. The fire plume is the column of smoke and gas traveling upward from a fire. Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp. Recalls Dry Fire Sprinklers (July 12, 2007) http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07209.html
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Name of Product: Globe Model J Series Dry Fire Sprinklers Units: About 300,000 Manufacturer: Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp., of Standish, Mich. Hazard: The sprinkler heads can deteriorate over time and fail to operate in a fire. Incidents/Injuries: Globe has received five reports of sprinklers that failed to operate as intended during a fire. Globe has received no reports of injuries caused by sprinklers failing to operate. Description: Model J Series dry fire sprinklers come in pendent, upright, and sidewall configurations. The name "Globe," the letter "J" and the year of manufacture (1990 though 1999) are embossed on the frame of each sprinkler. These dry sprinklers were designed to be installed in areas of buildings where the sprinklers or water supply pipes may be subject to freezing, such as unheated attics, freezers and coolers, parking garages, porches and warehouses. Sold by: Fire protection contractors nationwide from January 1990 through December 1999 for between $27 and $36 per sprinkler head. Manufactured in: United States Remedy: Contact Globe immediately to arrange to receive replacement sprinkler heads at a reduced cost of $9 per sprinkler head. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Globe at (800) 248-0278 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.globesprinkler.com and click on the "Recall" link. CPSC Warns Consumers to Replace Star ME-1 Dry Fire Sprinklers Made by Sprinkler Corporation of Milwaukee (April 25, 2003) http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml03/03117.html WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today is warning consumers regarding approximately 400,000 Star ME-1 dry fire sprinklers manufactured from 1983 through 1995 by Sprinkler Corporation of Milwaukee, Inc. (SCM), formerly known as Star Sprinkler Corporation. CPSC warns that these sprinklers present a safety risk and should immediately be replaced. This warning follows the resolution of an administrative proceeding filed by CPSC on October 9, 2001, in which CPSC alleged these sprinklers are defective and are likely to fail to operate in a fire, thereby exposing consumers to the risk of death or serious injury. CPSC reports that samples of Star ME-1 dry sprinklers removed from several locations and tested by independent testing laboratories did not operate as intended. CPSC has received reports of two failures involving Star ME-1 dry sprinklers. One report involved a 1976 sprinkler, and the other, sprinklers installed in 1990. CPSC, Central Sprinkler Company Announce Voluntary Recall To Replace O-Ring Fire Sprinklers (July 19, 2001) NOTE: RECALL ENDED AUGUST 31, 2007. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01201.html WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Central Sprinkler Company, an affiliate of Tyco Fire Products LP, of Lansdale, Pa., are announcing a voluntary replacement program. The company will provide free parts and labor to replace 35 million Central fire sprinklers with O-ring seals. The program also includes a limited number of O-ring models sold by Gem Sprinkler Company and Star Sprinkler, Inc. totaling about 167,000 sprinkler heads. http://www.sprinklerreplacement.com/ http://www.sprinklerreplacement.com/deadline.html CPSC, Central Sprinkler Recall Omega Fire Sprinklers; Settle Lawsuit (October 14, 1998) RECALL ENDED AUGUST 1, 1999. http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/PRHTML99/99008org.html WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Central Sprinkler announced today the nationwide recall of approximately 8.4 million Omega brand fire sprinklers manufactured since 1982 by Central Sprinkler Corp. and its subsidiary, Central Sprinkler Co., of Lansdale, Pa. CPSC alleges that Omegas are defective and could likely fail in a fire. This recall announcement follows the resolution of the lawsuit filed by the Commission staff against these companies on March 3, 1998. C1 (or C-1) C1A (or C-1A) C-1A PRO (or C1-A PRO) C1-A PRO QR EC-20 EC-20A R-1 R-1A R-1M Flow Control (FC, Flow Control-FC) Protector-M or M Protector (Upright, Pendent, Sidewall, Sidewall EC) HEC-12 EC-12 RES HEC-12 EC HEC-12 EC PRO HEC-12 ID HEC-12 PRO HEC-12 PRO QR HEC-20 Prohibitor QR and AC. Central is offering consumers free replacement glass bulb fire sprinklers and reimbursement toward the cost of having Omega sprinklers removed and replaced. CPSC routinely requires companies to pay the full costs associated with recalls. In this case, Central's reported financial condition reveals that its ability to pay the cost of replacing the Omega sprinklers is limited. Consumers are urged to call the Omega Sprinkler Recall Hotline, available 24 hours a day, at (800) 896-5685 or to access the Omega recall website at omegarecall.com to participate in the recall. For consumers to get any monetary reimbursement for installation costs, they must submit a proof of claim and release to Central postmarked by August 1, 1999. Consumers are urged to take immediate action and call today. Sprinkler System Inspection Requirements NFPA requires that certain activities be performed at prescribed frequencies. However, rarely does an inspection and test agreement assign all of these activities and frequencies to a fire prevention company. To comply fully, an implied partnership is formed between the owner or the owner’s representative and the contractor. All of the requirements of NFPA 25 are the responsibility of the owner, and the contractor relies on the owner to perform all inspections and tests not specified in the agreement. A common agreement for a wet sprinkler system will have the fire protection contractor coming to the building on an annual basis to conduct the annual inspections (See Below), while the owner or owner’s representative performs the quarterly, monthly, and weekly required inspections. Unless specifically referenced in the agreement all other less-frequent activities are not included such as testing gauges every 5 years, testing sprinklers every 5, 10, 20, or 50 years; and internally inspecting alarm valve, check valves, strainers, filters, and orifices. These activities are normally performed by the fire protection contractor but are invoiced as additional periodic services. Sprinkler System Inspection Frequencies
Sprinkler System Maintenance Tips SPRINKLER MAINTENANCE TIPS By Central Sprinkler Company Sprinklers can have their performance affected when they are installed in environments that are aggressive, such as those with harsh water supplies. Just like a building’s heating and cooling systems, sprinkler systems must be properly maintained to ensure that they are in good working order and will activate in the event of a fire. Owning a sprinkler system without having it inspected and maintained is like owning a car and never changing the oil. NFPA Standards 13 and 25 contain requirements related to installation and inspection/maintenance of sprinklers and sprinkler systems that affect the long-term integrity of sprinklers. Factors Affecting Sprinkler Performance There are many factors that can affect the performance of a sprinkler and system components. These factors include: water quality, atmospheric and environmental conditions, water bacteria such as microbiological influenced corrosion (MIC), physical damage, extreme changes in temperature, and piping system debris such as rust and scale. The NFPA 25 Committee has suggested changes for the 2008 Edition of the Standard to provide additional requirements for more frequent sprinkler inspections and testing. NFPA 25 proposals are also in place to more adequately test for and treat water sources and water environments that are deemed aggressive and may reduce the useful life of sprinkler components and system piping. Most of the proposed changes are targeted to increasing the inspection and maintenance criteria for sprinklers and for controlling environmental conditions that negatively affect installed sprinklers and sprinkler system components. NFPA Standards The sprinkler industry is continuing to learn from situations where sprinklers have reduced performance characteristics due to site-specific characteristics that affect the installed sprinklers. From the review of products and installations this effort will develop stronger codes and test standards for fire protection products. A number of current NFPA 13 and 25 code sections should be referenced when performing sprinkler system maintenance. Some of these code sections are identified below for your use with building owners. Although Central Sprinkler Company produces state-of the-art sprinklers that conform to existing industry test standards published by Underwriters Laboratories, Underwriters Laboratories Canada, Factory Mutual, and various international test standards in certified ISO 9000 facilities, we strongly recommend that sprinklers be inspected, removed and physically tested in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association guidelines, or every 10 years, whichever is less. Dry Sprinklers The Tentative Interim Amendment 98-1 in the NFPA 25 Standard1998 Edition section 2-3.1.1 Exception Number Five (5) states: “Dry Sprinklers that have been in service for 10 years shall be tested or replaced. If maintained and serviced, they shall be tested at 10-year intervals.” Dry Sprinklers are often subjected to harsh environments that experience large temperature variations, are installed in exposed conditions, and are prone to corrosion from the conditions they encounter. Frequent and routine inspection and maintenance of all Dry Sprinklers is necessary to ensure performance of installed Dry Sprinklers. Corrosion and Leaking Central recommends that sprinklers installed in aggressive water and/or reactive environments should be tested and replaced frequently to ensure performance. NFPA 25 1998 Edition section 2-2.1.1 states: “Sprinklers shall be inspected from the floor level annually. Sprinklers shall be free of corrosion, foreign materials, paint, and physical damage and shall be installed in the proper orientation. Any sprinkler shall be replaced that is painted, corroded, damaged, loaded or in the improper orientation.” Most sprinkler manufacturers technical and informational instructions that are included with new sprinklers caution the sprinkler owner and/or sprinkler maintenance contractor to remove sprinklers that are found to be leaking or exhibiting visible signs of corrosion. Building Owner’s Responsibility As you know, testing and inspection of fire protection systems and devices is the responsibility of the building owner. NFPA 25 1998 Edition section 1-4.2 states “the responsibility for properly maintaining a water-based fire protection system shall be that of the owner(s) of the property. By means of periodic inspections, tests, and maintenance, the equipment shall be shown to be in good operating condition, or any defects or impairments shall be revealed. Inspection, testing, and maintenance shall be implemented in accordance with procedures meeting or exceeding those established in this document [NFPA 25] and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. These tasks shall be performed by personnel who have developed competence through training and experience.” Any sprinkler system deficiency or performance related issue shall be repaired by the building owner. NFPA 25 1998 Edition section1-4.4 states that “the owner or occupant promptly shall correct or repair deficiencies, damaged parts, or impairments found while performing the inspection, test, and maintenance requirements of this standard. Corrections and repairs shall be performed by qualified maintenance personnel or a qualified contractor.” Water Supply and Quality Water supplies should be tested prior to sprinkler installation to reduce the likelihood of contamination from water source bacteria. Additionally, the quality of the water should be understood to reduce corrosion that is induced from highly alkaline or acidic water supplies. NFPA 13 1999 Edition states in section 9-1.5 that “in areas with water supplies known to have contributed to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of sprinkler system piping, water supplies shall be tested and appropriately treated prior to filling or testing of metallic piping systems.” NFPA 13 1999 Edition section 10-2.1 states “Fire service mains (from water supply to system riser) and lead-in connections to system risers shall be completely flushed before connection is made to sprinkler piping. Water supplies should be flushed to ensure that pipe scale and debris is not introduced into the sprinkler system at the time of installation. The flushing operation shall be continued for a sufficient time to ensure thorough cleaning.”
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||