Fire Sprinklers meet UL residential density requirements.
December 9, 2002 -
UL-listed LFII pendent sprinklers install in beamed ceilings, including vaulted and sloped styles. They provide min density/water application requirement of 0.05 gpm/ft² for single-family and multi-story residential occupancies and 0.10 gpm/ft² for high-rise occupancies greater than 4 stories in height. With sprinkler spacing of 18 x 18 ft, minimum water application is 16.2 gpm for the former and 32.4 gpm for the latter.
(Archive News Story - Products mentioned in this Archive News Story may or may not be available from the manufacturer.)
Tyco Fire & Building Products Announces New Residential Sprinkler Line
Although residential sprinklers have continued to evolve over the past fifteen years, nothing has compared to the events of the last (2) years during which the industry has experienced massive changes to the codes that address residential sprinklers. For years, the manufacturing goal has been to create residential sprinklers that meet the lowest possible flow and pressure requirements. This approach, combined with the desire to keep residential sprinkler systems reasonably inexpensive, has resulted in very low flowing (LF) sprinklers.
The LF style residential sprinklers had flow requirements as low as 8 GPM with multiple sprinklers flowing. This is contrasted heavily now with new minimum density requirements. To obtain a new Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing, the product must provide a minimum density, or a water application requirement of 0.05 GPM per sq. ft. in single family and multi-story residential occupancies (NFPA 13D and 13R), and a whopping 0.10 GPM per sq. ft. for high-rise residential occupancies greater than 4-stories in height (NFPA 13). This substantially increases the flow required when compared to the older versions. As an example, using a sprinkler spacing of 18 'x 18', or 324 square feet with a density application of 0.05 GPM per sq. ft., the minimum water application would be 16.2 GPM. Compare that to the older K3.0 residential sprinkler flow requirement of 14 GPM. With the 0.10 GPM per sq. ft. requirement, the minimum water application doubles to 32.4 GPM per square foot of coverage. There is something else to consider with the new testing requirements, as well: there is no direct area/density water application rule that can be applied. In fact, due to the high wall-wetting requirement at the UL test lab, the flows are considerably HIGHER than the new minimum density per square foot would require.
These new requirements forced the residential sprinkler manufacturers to make some tough choices. The first option was to re-qualify their existing residential sprinklers with the new density requirements and the new, stricter UL testing. This seems logical, but since the flow requirements have increased, the pressure requirements also increased automatically. This puts some manufacturers at a disadvantage, since the re-qualification is a very expensive endeavor, and the result is higher required flows and pressures at each sprinkler. The only alternative, option number two, was to redesign new sprinklers. The creation of new sprinklers across its entire residential product line was the route that Tyco Fire Products chose.
New sprinklers always represent a fresh way to approach given requirements. Tyco knew the minimum flow requirements, so the variable that we could provide as a feature and a benefit to our customers would be an optimization of the pressure requirements. So we did it.
Tyco decided early that using the typical room sizes that were normal for residential applications, and to optimize the sprinkler orifice and K-factor for that size room, would provide the lowest pressure requirements in the market place. So we did it.
Early in the development stage, Tyco Fire Products also realized that some of the features of the older listings should be maintained. These would include important items such as a much greater deflector distance for the sprinklers than specified in the respective codes. So we did it.
Installation of the residential sprinklers in sloped ceiling conditions was another extremely important feature that Tyco wanted to retain. This was considered vital, since a typical basic listing requires installations to be under a smooth, flat and horizontal ceiling. Vaulted or sloped ceilings are commonplace in the residential market and sprinklers must be applicable in this type of construction. So we did it.
Tyco was approached by their customers who declared that there was a strong need for residential sprinklers to be allowed for use in areas where "beams" are part of the ceiling structure. Several fire tests later; we did it. The new Tyco LFII pendent sprinklers are UL listed for "Beamed Ceilings".
Changing codes, increasing construction in single and multiple family housing, and products that allow the flexibility of design will continue to expand and to drive the residential fire protection market. Tyco Fire Products has been the recognized leader in the protection of lives and property, and the new residential sprinkler product line demonstrates our continued commitment to the industry.
About Tyco Fire & Building Products
Tyco Fire & Building Products is a global manufacturer of water based fire suppression system components and ancillary building construction products. It continually expands its capabilities through aggressive research and product development to provide its customers effective fire protection and construction solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Its products are sold worldwide under the following brand names: Acrobe, Ancon, Central, Central SpraySafe, GEM, Grinnell, Lindapter, Star, Unistrut, and Wopf.
About Tyco Engineered Products & Services
Tyco Engineered Products & Services consists of four global businesses, Electrical & Metal Products; Fire & Building Products; Flow Control; and Infrastructure Services. Tyco Engineered Products & Services has industry leadership positions in the Fire Protection, Construction, Process Industrial, Water/Wastewater and Electrical markets, providing complete application solutions by utilizing the synergies among its products and services, along with the well-established brands around the world.
Contacts:
Marketing:
Jim Brunetti National Product Manager
USA
Phone: 800-523-6512
FAX: 215-362-5385 Company Information: Name: Grinnell Mechanical Products, By Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products Address: 451 N. Cannon Ave. City: Lansdale State: PA ZIP: 19446 Country: USA Phone: 215-362-0700 FAX: 215-393-1333 http://www.grinnell.com/
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