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April 11, 2016 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sidewall Sprinklers on Opposing or Adjacent Walls "There are two sidewall sprinklers in a single room on adjacent walls with a 6 in. deflector distance from the ceiling. The distance between the two sprinklers is 16 ft and the opposing wall is at 19 ft-4 1/2 in. The specifications for the sprinkler (in regards to maximum coverage area) range from 12 ft x 12 ft all the way up to 16 ft x 20 ft. The coverage area is 16 ft x 16 ft and the AHJ is saying that the sprinklers will cold solder at 16 ft apart. Do the sidewall sprinklers have to be spaced 20 ft apart because that is the maximum throw of the sprinkler at the highest psi per the data sheets?" We have reviewed NFPA 13, 2013 edition that you indicated as the applicable standard. Our informal interpretation is that a sprinkler shouldn't be located within the maximum protection area of a sidewall sprinkler on the adjacent wall. There hasn't been any testing regarding your application to determine sufficient distances when sprinklers are located on opposing or adjacent walls. The minimum spacing between sprinklers mounted on the same wall is 6 ft apart for standard spray sidewall sprinklers and 8 ft apart for extended coverage and residential sidewall sprinklers to prevent the wetting of the thermal element or cold soldering. Sidewall sprinklers located on opposing walls and adjacent walls could be prone to cold soldering so they have to be handled differently. The conservative approach by the standard is to locate these sprinklers outside the maximum protection area to avoid cold soldering another sprinkler. This is addressed in Section 8.7.3.1.6 for standard sidewalls, 8.9.3.4 for extended coverage sidewalls, and 8.10.3.4 for residential sidewall sprinklers. Sidewall sprinklers should be located on the same wall for future designs or located to prevent cold soldering. An alternative since this is already installed is to apply the spray patterns from the sprinkler manufacturer for the type and style of sprinkler if permitted by the AHJ. Sidewall sprinklers have an upward lift to them and then the water falls to a lower level from the ceiling. The spray patterns by the manufacturers for residential sprinklers show that the wall wetting spray pattern is lower than 12 in. from the ceiling at the 16 ft distance. If the sidewall sprinkler is wetting the thermal element on the sprinkler on the adjacent wall at 16 ft, then the sidewall sprinkler is likely providing protection at the 20 ft spacing. <a href="http://files.ctctcdn.com/66430f6a001/fada4328-b80d-4a55-aefa-bb4aecf8a865.pdf"; track="on" >Click here for PDF Version</a> <a href="https://www.firesprinkler.org/technical-services/subscribe-technical-updates/"; track="off" >Archives</a> Technical Update is prepared by the Technical Services Dept. of the AFSA: Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services Roland Huggins, a PE registered in fire protection engineering; Phill Brown, a NICET IV certified automatic sprinkler technician and NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and Tom Wellen, a PE registered in fire protection engineering. This is provided with the understanding that the AFSA assumes no liability for this opinion or actions taken on it and they are not to be considered the official position of the NFPA or its technical committees. Copyright 2016, American Fire Sprinkler Association. All Rights Reserved ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Links <a href="https://www.firesprinkler.org"; track="on" >firesprinkler.org</a> <a href="https://www.firesprinkler.org/membership/purchase-membership/"; track="on" >Join AFSA</a> <a href="https://www.afsascholarship.org"; track="on" >Scholarships</a> <a href="https://www.firesprinkler.org/education-center/safety-training/"; track="on" >Safety Training</a> <a >href="https://www.firesprinkler.org/technical-services/"; track="on" >Technical Services</a> <a href="https://www.firesprinkler.org/technical-services/informal-interpretations/request-informal-interpretation/"; track="on" >Informal Interpretation Request</a> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Training Calendar AFSA Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School 2016 Schedule May 16 - 27, 2016 July 18 - 29, 2016 Oct. 3 - 14, 2016 For more info, call: 214-349-5965 ext. 132
