June 13, 2016
Residential Sprinklers in a Compartment “The AHJ is stating I cannot mix residential sprinklers with quick-response sprinklers in a hallway per 8.4.5.3. Is that correct?” We have reviewed NFPA 13, 2016 edition as the applicable standard. Our informal interpretation is that when residential sprinklers are installed within a compartment, all the sprinklers shall be of the residential type. The text regarding this issue changed starting in the 2013 edition of NFPA 13. This states in 8.4.5.3, “Where residential sprinklers are installed in a compartment as defined in 3.3.6, all sprinklers within the compartment shall be residential sprinklers.” The new text referenced “shall be residential sprinklers” where the previous text removed was “shall be of the fast-response type that meets the criteria of 3.6.1(a)(1).” The issue wasn’t the thermal response element between the two types of sprinklers. The issue was the different design basis between quick-response sprinklers and residential sprinklers so they shouldn’t be mixed. What adds to this confusion is the Automatic Sprinkler Systems Handbook commentary addressing this issue did not change when the standard text changed in the 2013 edition. The commentary states, “When mixing sprinklers that are not of the same make, caution is needed to avoid the possibility of reverse operating order or spot operation of sprinklers. It is important that all residential sprinklers be of similar thermal sensitivity when they are installed in a compartment. The use of bulb-type and solder-type sprinklers or residential and other types of sprinklers is acceptable, as long as all of the sprinklers in the compartment are fast-response sprinklers as defined in 3.6.1(a)(1).” As such, the wording from the commentary is in error and conflicts with the text of the standard. Quick-response sprinklers and residential sprinklers cannot be mixed within the same compartment. ------------ Technical Update is prepared by the Technical Services Dept. of the AFSA: Roland Huggins, a PE registered in fire protection engineering, Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services; 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.firesprinkler.org/private.cgi/sprinklernotes-firesprinkler.org/attachments/20160613/85475505/attachment.htm>
