Residential Fire Sprinklers. Please proof this new inspection article.

[Nick Gromicko]

Residential Fire Sprinklers.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

For those not familiar with sprinkler heads, the photo is showing one with a protector cap on it using CPVC piping in lieu of steel pipe.

In this case similar to BlazeMaster.

Harvel® utilizes BlazeMaster® CPVC compounds to manufacture Harvel® BlazeMaster® CPVC fire sprinkler pipe. BlazeMaster® is a trade name of the raw material (CPVC compound – powder or pellets) supplied by Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. (formerly Noveon, Inc., formerly the BFGoodrich Company). Lubrizol is a supplier of CPVC raw material, they do not manufacture CPVC pipe or fittings. Harvel is Licensed by Lubrizol to use the BlazeMaster® CPVC compound and its trade name in the manufacture of CPVC fire sprinkler pipe – hence the name Harvel® BlazeMaster® CPVC.

The head below is what is called a concealed pendant sprinkler head.



Nice write up Nick, just thought I add a few.

[Rob London]

thanks Marcel

[gfitzgerald]

We have them here in the hills and some newer homes. Just how do you report on them ?? I just note the fact that a sprinkler system is present.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by gfitzgerald

We have them here in the hills and some newer homes. Just how do you report on them ?? I just note the fact that a sprinkler system is present.

Note it is present and that you did not inspect the system

[Tim Spargo]

Same here BK!!!! Present and n/inspected.

Same with wells, septic etc.

I have been noting if it's not apparent to me as to the type of waste system as well, I think an inspector in AZ made it on TV (NOT BK) by not stating that a home was on a septic system... the buyers tank failed years later and weren't too happy, they didn't know they had one.

The same can go for a home in a rural area on a well and NO fire sprinklers in the home, although their Ins. co will likely let them know via a questionnaire, I'll make mention of it

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by tspargo

Same here BK!!!! Present and n/inspected.

Same with wells, septic etc.

I have been noting if it's not apparent to me as to the type of waste system as well, I think an inspector in AZ made it on TV (NOT BK) by not stating that a home was on a septic system... the buyers tank failed years later and weren't too happy, they didn't know they had one.

The same can go for a home in a rural area on a well and NO fire sprinklers in the home, although their Ins. co will likely let them know via a questionnaire, I'll make mention of it

If I know it is on Septic and or well i point it out in the report...

All Septic systems are required to be inspected by a Licensed Septic Inspector here with any Property Sale....so I am covered....

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Why Rest Homes Without Fire Sprinklers
Put Our Parents and Grandparents at Risk

Elderly and handicapped patients woke to the smell of smoke and the sound of fire doors slamming as a fire spread throughout a Connecticut nursing home late on a February night. Firefighters arrived to find a serious blaze--and hundreds of bedridden people screaming for help. They rushed to evacuate the building, managing to get 130 people out on stretchers, wheelchairs, or entire beds.

Despite their best efforts, however, ten people died at the scene. Twenty-four were hurt. Of those, six died later of their injuries.

The rest home housed 148 elderly and handicapped patients. Firefighters described it later as one of the worst fires they'd ever seen. The blaze spread quickly, the people inside were unable to rescue themselves, and the temperatures outside were frigid--adding to the suffering of the frail patients even after they were rescued.

This is just one of many cases of tragic rest home fires. Many people shopping for a home for their elderly or handicapped loved ones are looking for a safe, protected environment--but they don't look hard enough at fire safety.

They should. Rest homes are among the worst places for a fire to break out. Many patients are handicapped. Most can't move quickly enough to save themselves in case of a fire, and are entirely dependent on the staff. It can be especially challenging to evacuate mentally handicapped patients, who can panic and resist. In any fire, every second counts--and it takes much more than seconds to get these patients out of a burning building safely.

The Connecticut rest home had no fire sprinklers installed--only fire extinguishers, which staff failed to use effectively. In the U.S. and the U.K., some areas require rest homes to have fire sprinklers installed--but older buildings can have "grandfathered" exemptions in some cases, as well as other exemptions related to layout and usage. The rest home in this case study met fire safety standards required by law--yet it failed to protect its residents when a fire started.

There's no question that fire sprinklers would have helped. When a similar fire started in the basement of a Bristol rest home, the heat from the basement activated the fire sprinklers on the first floor. They soaked the floors, containing the fire to the basement and buying firefighters time to evacuate the 60 people inside. Nobody was hurt.

The bottom line? No rest home is safe without fire sprinklers. When looking for a home for an elderly or handicapped loved one, don't settle for anything less than the best fire protection. Your loved one will thank you for it.

[John Evans]

Back flow valve should be inspected at 5 year intervals by a qualified fire supression contractor.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by jevans

Back flow valve should be inspected at 5 year intervals by a qualified fire supression contractor.

Thanks John any more thoughts and Ideas would be appreciated .
I am going to aproach our Council to try and make in mandatory in my town to have sprinklers .

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Good luck with that Roy.

Here is a link that may help;

http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/FS/FSHome.html

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Great thanks Marcel

[Arthur Gould]

Originally Posted by rcooke

Thanks John any more thoughts and Ideas would be appreciated .
I am going to aproach our Council to try and make in mandatory in my town to have sprinklers .

Most of the systems are integrated with cold water plumbing using pex, cpvc or copper. My guess is mot are using pex.

Being an integrated system there aren't any alarms and the main water shut-off valve controls both sprinklers and domestic water. The thinking here is to turn the fire sprinkler water off you have to shut down the everything. No water to flush toilets nobody will spend much time there.

There really isn't a whole lot to inspect other than the sprinkler heads themselves. Do they leak? (most leaks will not be the sprinkler itself but the fitting connections attaching to it) and the big one "have they been painted?"

You never paint sprinkler heads and once painted they must be replaced.

Unless you are specifically licensed for fire sprinklers I would note something to the effect "While not a part of our normal inspection we noticed some fire sprinklers may have been painted."

90% of these systems are going to be just this easy.