Chris,
No, all of the heads have NOT been replaced. My last call with the VRP office
(now closed) was 10M heads out of the 35M were not replaced - that was several
years ago.
But, having worked as a sprinkler service manager for SimplexGrinnell and
several other fire sprinkler companies that have done inspections work I know
for a fact that o-ring and Omega heads are still frequently found in the field
and owners have been interviewed to determine if claim forms were executed or
not.
The reasons for this are:
1. Non-Tyco ITM firms generally did NOT get paid to do the site surveys.
Owners didn't have time, knowledge, skill or energy to fill out the claim
forms.
2. A small number of ITM companies charged clients to conduct the field
surveys and fill out the paperwork for the owners, but most ITM firms did not
do this. The forms didn't get filled out and didn't get turned in.
3. The recalls were addressed under an Annex (A4.1.4) in NFPA 25 and not in
the required section of 25. As a result, except with limited exception and a
few AHJs (notably Alexandria VA) no AHJs required their replacement.
4. The Omegas, in particular, were in residential apartments where individual
fire sprinkler head inspections were not and are not generally enforced, lots
and lots of locked doors. Some AHJs, most notably, Florida, have and DO
require individual head inspections per NFPA 25, most jurisdictions do not.
With limited access or a "Barrier" to access these heads didn't get documented.
There are thousands and thousands of recalls in the field. Reagan
International Airport DC is one high profile location where they exist. I see
them all of the time in my travels.
Byron
(I now work for Tyco Fire Protection Products as a Territory Manager - Fixed
Systems - Americas) - but previously I served as an inspection/service manager
with SimplexGrinnell in CT and Montana/Wyoming. I also worked for several
smaller firms in Colorado and Maryland and worked for Wayne Automatic in
Florida.)
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2013 15:45:44 -0500
> Subject: Central Recall
>
> Yes, I know this expired back in '07. Or at least Tyco paying for
> replacements expired, the heads are still recalled. The question is have all
> submitted claims been replaced? I know there are a lot of them still out
> there that were never claimed under the recall.
>
> Chris Cahill, PE*
> Senior Fire Protection Engineer
> Burns & McDonnell
> 8201 Norman Center Drive
> Bloomington, MN 55437
> Phone: 952.656.3652
> Fax: 952.229.2923
> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
> www.burnsmcd.com<http://www.burnsmcd.com/>
>
> Proud to be one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For
> *Registered in: MN
>
>
>
>
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