Yup, how about that! If you can digitally search the NEC, you'll find no reference anywhere within the document restricting the routing of sprinkler lines of any type.
We visited this topic some time ago in great detail. Had this conversation with a local AHJ who told a client he didn't like sprinklers in their electrical rooms and that they needed to disconnect them or shut them down. Unfortunately the client had oil filled transformers within the rooms, and the rooms didn't meet any other criteria as well for allowing the sprinkler exemptions. After extensive code presentations we were able to prove the requirements and also point out that by telling the client to shut down those systems he placed himself at risk physically and from a liability standpoint. Sprinks are back in. But nevertheless this is one continuing hot button issue. Craig L. Prahl, CET Fire Protection Specialist Mechanical Department CH2MHILL Lockwood Greene 1500 International Drive PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491 Direct - 864.599.4102 Fax - 864.599.8439 [email protected] http://www.ch2m.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ben Young Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? Great minds think alike. Also, the UFC specifically requires wet-pipe sprinkler protection in computer server rooms and data centers. I don't see why comm closets would be exempt from this. On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 9:54 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > There is no wording for such a requirement. Only exception in the NEC > is for Vaults but if you read the handbook commentary you'll see that > sprinkler piping is exempt from that requirement there as well. > > If you read section 110.26(F)1.C of the NEC you you'll get a bunch of > circular wording but the basic intent is spelled out. The majority of > the electrical inspectors are making things up as they go based on old > wives tales and something someone else did decades ago because he > could, not because it was a code requirement. > > Make them show you the text reference. > > Electrical equipment rooms, telecom rooms, computer rooms, etc are no > different than any other room in the building when it comes to > requiring sprinklers. There are some exceptions to the requirement in > NFPA 13 with parallel wording in some building codes but to not > sprinkler the room requires other construction and operation measures > to be adhered to in order to be compliant. > > In a lot of commercial and residential bldgs. the electrical room > could be the room where the greatest chance for fire is present. Yet > it is the one room that is most often left unprotected due to > someone's boogie-man fears of water and electricity. > > > Craig L. Prahl, CET > Fire Protection Specialist > Mechanical Department > CH2MHILL > Lockwood Greene > 1500 International Drive > PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491 Direct - 864.599.4102 Fax - > 864.599.8439 [email protected] http://www.ch2m.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Bobby Gillett > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:38 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > In NFPA 70, somewhere. Every electrical inspector I have had will let > us enter a room but not exit, with main, branch line, etc. (any > piping). I'll try to put my finger on it. > > Bobby Gillett > Sr. Project Manager > Key Fire Protection, Inc. > (731) 424-0130 office (731) 424-9285 fax > (731) 267-4853 cell > [email protected] > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Fletcher, Ron > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 8:30 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > Where does it say "not exit electrical rooms"? I know about the > restricted space limitations and the required clearances. > > Ron Fletcher > Aero Automatic > Phoenix > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bobby > Gillett > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 6:25 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > I think what is flagging you is the fact the electrical code causes us > to enter and not exit electrical rooms and has restrictions on > placement of pipe. You might check with the electrical inspector, or > whoever would have that jurisdiction ,and see if it applies to the telecomm > room as well. > > Bobby Gillett > Sr. Project Manager > Key Fire Protection, Inc. > (731) 424-0130 office (731) 424-9285 fax > (731) 267-4853 cell > [email protected] > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brown, > Mike > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 8:16 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > Also, I forgot to mention the telecomm room has no ceiling. > > Mike Brown > Project Designer > Sunland Fire Protection > 1218 Elon Place > High Point, NC 27263 > Ph. 336.886.7027 Ext. 140 > Fax: 336.886.7024 > WWW.SUNLANDFIRE.COM > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:14 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > Nothing prevents you from running it above the room unless there's > some military spec saying you can't. NFPA doesn't prevent it. Are you > providing a sprinkler in the room? > > > Craig L. Prahl, CET > Fire Protection Specialist > Mechanical Department > CH2MHILL > Lockwood Greene > 1500 International Drive > PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491 Direct - 864.599.4102 Fax - > 864.599.8439 [email protected] http://www.ch2m.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brown, > Mike > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:10 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Water Filled Pipe in Telecomm Room? > > I working on a design for an existing military barrack... and the FPE > is directing us to run our main through a telecomm room? I am trying > to find something saying that I can or can't do this? Any thoughts? > Thanks in advance. > > > > Mike Brown > > Project Designer > > Sunland Fire Protection > > 1218 Elon Place > > High Point, NC 27263 > > Ph. 336.886.7027 Ext. 140 > > Fax: 336.886.7024 > > WWW.SUNLANDFIRE.COM <http://WWW.SUNLANDFIRE.COM> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] > > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[email protected]<to%3ASprinklerforum-reques > [email protected]> (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
