# Home fire sprinklers



## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

They seem to be the wave of the future. Do any of you install heads in homes. Would you start doing this in the future. 

Such as picking up a head in the BR and one in the bathroom on the way to the fixtures.

Of course this would be piped in such a way to prevent dead ends.

Opinions?


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

Fire sprinklers require seperate water service here in philadelphia. City does not want any liability for fire damage if they shutt-off your domestic water for lack of payment


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

Also required to be a licensed sprinkler contractor. Not allowed under plumbing permit.


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## trick1 (Sep 18, 2008)

I just finished up reading an article on this. It looks like residential sprinkler installation will be adopted by the IRC as well as NFPA13. That means that a plumbing contractor OR fire sprinkler contractor can size and install these systems. Not sure about the UPC though. Rest assures there will be continuing ed and a certification to go along with this. From what I read, the sizing calcs are easier to perform than domestic water sizing,too.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

They will be required here in 2012 for all residential construction. As for picking up a head or two, because of liability you would be better off to do nothing at all unless you are certified.


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## Wiser (Jul 25, 2008)

Anne Arundel Co., Maryland just adopted new reg. all new res. homes to have sprinkler systems.

In our area sprinkler work is not covered under plumbing.

With Unions, seems like it would be hard for plumbing contractors to get on this bandwagon. 

As a consumer, not happy about something else the government wants to force on us. This just adds to the cost of a new home and to be competitive, quality will most likely be cut from somewhere else. 

How are sprinklers in new homes going to stop the majority of deaths that occur in older homes? Now, if this is done to keep sprinkler contractors busy, fine. Just say that and don't try to turn it into a 'we care about HO's and property.' I'm a skeptic and not buying it. 

Headline: 10 FAMILY MEMBERS DIE IN FIRE DUE TO SPACE HEATER
Inner city / country older homes where people are using gas stoves and plug in heaters to heat their homes and do not have one operating smoke detector. Seems to me this is when the most people die (8-12 people in a home).

Headline: FAMILY ESCAPES AS 4200 SF HOME BURNS TO THE GROUND
Of course, the house had smoke detectors that actually worked!


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## plumber1a (Jan 3, 2009)

In LA, CA. fire sprinklers have been required on some homes here for many years. I think it's based upon fire zones and distances from fire stations, as more people are building in remote areas. 
The system is teed off from the main water supply to the house just before the main shut off, you can't put a shut off on the fire system as you must shut down the meter to work on them, this keeps people from living in the homes with non- working systems. The material is an Orange colored solvent weld plastic system with standard type pendent and upright sprinklers. I have seen systems that have required large storage tank, pumps with emergency generators, usually in homes 15+ 000 square feet. I feel they are a great asset and safety feature, but its another cost incurred. I think very few homes burn each year to justify the added expense, but then again you can't put a cost on lives lost, so there here to stay I'm sure.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

That would be Blazemaster pipe. I believe it's CPVC.


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> That would be Blazemaster pipe. I believe it's CPVC.


It is


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## PlumbFast (Feb 6, 2009)

My boss told me today that starting in 2010 were going to have to put sprinklers in all new residential homes.


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

Playing Devil's advocate here. If your running 2 plastic pipes next to one another one for potable & one for sprinkler and the house they are in catches fire, who's going to argue about which plastic pipe put it out?:no:


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> That would be Blazemaster pipe. I believe it's CPVC.



Yup, got it in my house, the guy I bought from was a Fire Rescue Captain, when he had it built, they were installed. I'm glad to have em, just not sold on the CPVC thing with its brittleness over time. So far, no problems.:thumbsup:


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

M5Plumb said:


> _*Yup, got it in my house,*_ the guy I bought from was a Fire Rescue Captain, when he had it built, they were installed. I'm glad to have em, _*just not sold on the CPVC thing with its brittleness over time. So far, no problems*_.:thumbsup:


ME EITHER JUST DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING AND YOU SHOULD BE O'TAY!:blink:


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I wish I woulda put it in mine. 

It gets expensive here in IL though. We are required to have a stamped set of fire protection drawings.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> I wish I woulda put it in mine.
> 
> It gets expensive here in IL though. We are required to have a stamped set of fire protection drawings.


Got 'em, good thing too!!! :thumbup: I keep looking out for telltale signs with problems and so far I'm a happy camper:thumbsup:


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

The blazemaster (orange cpvc) has a very high temp rating. Last year on CT we were talking about this. One guy said he saw a demonstration where there was a piece of pipe in a barrel that was set on fire. It barly caused the pipe to wilt and just was black from the soot. There are here on all new build and major remods. Fire suppression is its own type rated license. Plumbers are not allowed to touch their stuff. No shutoff valves are permitted, however the house potable supply and suppression is branched off the same main, sized according I might add. Of course the supply could be shut off from the meter. A lady I know owns a 3 unit condo...well she owns one of them, the idiot neighbor went to the meter and shut water down. He used a mapp torch to heat up the copper in an effort to cut through it...I guess he thought he had a plasma. He was trying to change a shower valve to a higher flow. Set his place and that entire common wall ablaze. Suppression did nothing obviously cause he killed it. I imagine there was a nice lawsuit...hope so.

I will tell you this, it is a little nerve racking working around that stuff. Climbing accross cj's or whatever. I have bumpped into risers and branches more than once....it's a little intimidating.


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