[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Sprinklers-was fire ratings and PU foams

[Lawrence Lile]

I am assuming this is interior fire sprinklers, not lawn sprinklers.  

There is a company called Blazemaster that has a listed PVC sprinkler
system.  The PVC, although it is not too Green, puts the cost of
complete coverage within the grasp and skill of a homeowner.  

Complete sprinkler coverage of a house would probably be expensive,
especially as a retrofit.  I've seen some installations where partial
coverage was installed, in specific areas that often are the start of
fires, like kitchens or mechanical rooms.  This kind of work doesn't
really meet the letter of recommended practice, but since sprinklers
aren't required in a home, that isn't really such a problem.  If you
keep lines short, a stub can be run off of a regular domestic water line
to a head, say, near the furnace and water heater or near the stove.  

If these lines are more than a couple of feet long, you'll get stagnant
water in there that you don't want in the same system as your drinking
water.  Conventional sprinkler systems always use a device called a
backflow preventer that isolates the nasty sprinkler water from the
fresh drinking water.  For any kind of coverage besides a few spots,
you'll be looking at some kind of backflow preventer and dedicated
piping.  

Residential systems would almost certainly be a "wet pipe" system, where
city water pressure is in the sprinkler pipes at all times, if a
sprinkler head melts then it is ready to flood the fire.  There are many
more complicated systems such as dry pipe, that would probably be
prohibitive in a residence.  Since they contain water, your sprinkler
pipe would have to be inside the building envelope, and in a retrofit
they'd be exposed (yuk).  

Also, once a head blows off, that water won't shut off until someone
thinks to turn off the main, usually several hours later.  If you have
sprinklers, and a fire, you WILL have a flood.  Plan for that in your
design - where is the water going to go?  Will it fill up the basement,
or are there plenty of floor drains?  

Commercial plumbers will have experience with sprinklers and may be able
to give you some advice.  Try to make sure they don't overdo it,
commercial sprinkler systems are marvelously complex and expensive.  


Lawrence Lile, PE, LEED AP
Project Solutions Engineering

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Stewart
Abbey
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 7:03 PM
To: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: [BULK] [Greenbuilding] Sprinklers-was fire ratings and PU foams
Importance: Low

I am currently building in a rural area where by the time the fire dept
gets there the house will be almost burnt to the ground.  I would also
be interested in anyones experience with residential sprinklers.  I am
using rockwool insulation with exterior
foam sheating (2nd's at 1/2 price from local manufacturer). Trying to
keep the styrofoam away from the interior living space.
Stewart

       
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