Yes we have a similar system in a parking garage, late 70's Grid, Flat and
leaky. Compressors run until failure, then owner replaces them and they run
again until they fail. Basically we tell them to walk the garage every day
and drain the drum drips every afternoon.

Long story don't ask.

Thom McMahon, SET
Firetech, Inc.
2560 Copper Ridge Dr
P.O. Box 882136
Steamboat Springs, CO 80488
Tel:  970-879-7952
Fax: 970-879-7926


-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Sornsin
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 2:59 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: Excessive Condensate

I have a client with a parking garage.  Large enough for two dry-pipe
systems.  Each are piped relatively flat (pitched per NFPA 13, but no more);
each on a big loop of 4 in main with side feed branch lines out the side of
the mains.

This system was last flooded last summer (say August).  Since that trip test
and subsequent draining, the client  has blown out all 6 low point drum
drips twice a month, every month. But even still, over Christmas, and only
two weeks after blowing out the drum drips, they froze 4 of the 6 drum drips
to the point of breakage - 3 of the 6 were filled with ice throughout the 2
in. x 12 in. drum, and up the 5 or 6 ft. of 1 inch pipe.

The contractor that replaced the drum drips noted that there was no
appreciable water on top of the dry valves, so the water in the pipes
appears to be entirely from condensate.  Or maybe, somehow, residual from
the trip testing 5 months ago (???).

Has anyone of you seen this amount of condensate coming from a dry system?
The air compressors are floor mounted with no tank. The riser room is
somewhat damp (large sump pit located here, too) and maintained at about 55
degrees.  But I still have a hard time imagining how that much water could
come from condensate.

Any thoughts?


Mark A. Sornsin, PE
Fire Protection Engineer
Ulteig Engineers, Inc.
Fargo, ND
Direct:    701. 280.8591

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