Replies

1. 
   PRP | Sep 15, 1999 08:55pm | #1

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   Not familiar w/ any "home" fire sprinkler systems. Would think that you'd assemble the same type of system as used in commercial. Maybe someone else could chime in here.

2. 
   Guest_ | Sep 15, 1999 11:02pm | #2

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   Not exactly sure what you want here - are you writing a history, do you want to decide if you want to install a system, or do you want to design your own?

   http://WWW.AMAZON.COM lists over a dozen books on fire protection sprinkler systems, while most don't specifically address home systems in their title, there is probably a lot of applicable information out there. For starters you might try the following links:

   http://www.sprinklernet.org/
   http://www.nfsa.org/nfsahome.html
   http://www.firesafehome.org/

   I posted a similiar query some months back and got a couple of responses. Couldn't find it when doing a search of the site, however - all I got back as "hits" were recipes for Chile dishes...

   Doing a search on the WWW gives a number of suppliers and installers. There is also a warning about faulty sprinkler heads from "Omega".

   From what I can gather, sprinkler installation pretty much is dictated by the building codes for plumbing in your area. While most installations use black pipe, I was assured that copper pipe was acceptable and possibly PEX or similar where allowed by code. Home systems generally appear to be "wet" systems (where water is in all the pipes up to the sprinkler heads) rather than "dry" (where compressed air fills the pipes and holds down a flapper valve that opens to release water when the air pressure is lost). Water and pressure for home systems appears to be from the same system used to supply regular domestic water. Protection of the sprinkler pipes appears to be the same as that afforded regular plumbing.

   Hope this helps.

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 16, 1999 12:58am | #3

   *I don't know anything personally, but there is at least one township in my area that mandates sprinklers in all new residential construction. They may have some info as far as codes for residential installation. If you are interested, I will post the info for contacting them.

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 16, 1999 02:55am | #4

   *John, I did mine with a book from National Fire Protection Association written for residential.kk

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 23, 1999 08:30am | #5

   *This has come up here before (I'm going to write a macro to type that for me). Anyone know of retail sources? I haven't the foggiest idea ... is this a plumbing item? Recommended brands?FYI: try "pipe sprinklers" in Search for better results -- especially this link, my favorite.Also, an article perhaps of interest in PMEngineer (Plumbing & Mechanical). There are a number of interesting articles in the archive, above all Violently Fracturing Water Closets (your commode could kill you).

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 24, 1999 03:50am | #6

   *Great research, Andrew, can always count on you to come up with something interesting. Reminds me to some extent of when I was in college and the guys in my dorm liked to flush lighted "cherry bombs" down the toilets. The explosion sent a geyser of water up several inches above the rim of the bowl, much to the dismay of whoever might have been sitting on it - the yelps of young ladies could be heard rather clearly from their wing of the dorm whenever this occured. Never heard of fractured bowls, but it reportedly did punch a few holes in the waste pipe...Alas, the article does remind one that there is no guaranteed safe respite in life. I remember a case of a rather hefty lady (reportedly around 300 lb) who went to relieve herself on a one-holer out in one of our rustic parks. As she sat, she continued bottom first down through the rotted seat structure into the pit and into the muck and mire to be found therein. She was none too happy, to say the least, and filed suit against the park service. Don't know how it came out, but was definitely a case of having a sh*tty day...

2. 
   Guest_ | Sep 24, 1999 06:11pm | #8

   *also see:FHB, No.44; Feb/March, 1998. RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLERSby Steve MeadA guide to the basics of designing and installing a sprinkler systemscc

3. 
   John_Wright | Sep 24, 1999 06:11pm | #7

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   I am looking for any history, information, or other application stuff on fire sprinkler systems for residential construction... Any particular brands, manufacturers, etc... What about equipment - any high flow or pressure demands, etc... Any comments would be appreciated.