MCKINNEY FIRE DEPARTMENT. Fire Prevention Division, Fire Marshal s Office. Information Notice

Transcription

1 MCKINNEY FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire Prevention Division, Fire Marshal s Office Information Notice Subject: Insulation Installation and Inspection Requirements for Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems Effective: September 1, 2013 (REV. 4) Code Reference: NFPA 13R (2016), Section 5.4 & NFPA 13D (2016), Section Scope: Inform general contractors and fire protection contractors of the requirement for the proper installation and inspection of insulation and heat tracing for both NFPA 13R & NFPA 13D. Description of Code Reference: Both NFPA 13R & 13D require that for areas in which wet pipe sprinklers system piping is installed a method to maintain a minimum 40 degrees Fahrenheit is provided to prevent the piping from freezing. Residential sprinkler piping is typically run vertically inside an interior wall and horizontally between floors and in the unheated attic space just above the ceiling. To prevent the pipe from freezing, the piping is insulated and provided with heat tracing in accordance with the applicable NFPA standard. Notice: Section of the 2015 International Fire Code requires installation acceptance testing on all fire protection systems. As references above, NFPA requires freeze protection for piping that cannot be maintained above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Accordingly, an inspection of the insulation shall be conducted and accepted as part of the required inspection for residential fire sprinkler systems. This inspection must take place before the sheetrock is installed. If the insulation is covered or obstructed prior to our inspection, this will delay your project until an inspection of the insulation can be performed. In areas subject to freezing, care should be taken to cover sprinkler piping completely in unheated attic spaces with insulation. Installation should follow the guidelines of the insulation manufacturer and NFPA 13. It is imperative to allow heat from living areas below to get to the sprinkler piping. Allowing blown-in insulation into the tented insulation space or adding additional insulation below will cause the pipe to freeze. Batt insulation shall be installed prior to blowing in insulation and shall be installed paper side down. The pictures and illustrations on the following pages provide various acceptable methods. The insulation requirements and minimum R-values for the thermal envelope, approved by the Building Inspections Department for compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for the structure, shall not be altered as part of the required sprinkler insulation. All batt style insulation for the sprinkler piping shall be a minimum of R-13. It should be noted that in no

2 case shall the total required R-value of the insulation be less that that approved on the Building Permit. If listed heat tracing is provides as required by NFPA 13D Section 9.1.2, it shall be compatible with the CPVC piping. IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING INSPECTIONS It shall be the duty of the permit holder, or their duly authorized agent, to notify the fire code official when work is ready for inspection. Whenever any installation subject to inspection prior to use is covered or concealed without having first been inspected, the fire code official shall have the authority to require that such work be exposed for inspection. Neither the fire code official nor the jurisdiction shall be liable for the expense entailed in the removal or replacement of any material required to allow inspection. Approved: Andrew Barr, CFPS Deputy Fire Marshal

3 ATTIC INSULATION DETAILS FIGURE 1

4 NFPA FIGURE A.8.3.1(a) INSULATION ARRANGEMENT 1

5 NFPA FIGURE A.8.3.1(b) INSULATION ARRANGEMENT 2

6 NFPA FIGURE A.8.3.1(c) INSULATION ARRANGEMENT 3

7 NFPA FIGURE A.8.3.1(d) INSULATION ARRANGEMENT 4

8 NFPA FIGURE A.8.3.1(e) INSULATION ARRANGEMENT 5