If this was a hospital or class room with VAV boxes and fans above the ceiling you wouldn't even blink. Now what if they have a re-heat coil in that duct? Same as a WH it's a resistance heating element. Most would say still not required. NFPA 72 is supposed to protect electrical devices from causing fires, by properly sized breakers. If done wrong, a 15W light bulb in a refrigerator could start a fire. We have to assume things are done right or else we'll be wanting fire sprinklers in every refrigerator out there.
I'd say not required, but I'd see if you can get them to use a Non-combustible platform for the WH, there are some really simple metal drain pans with outlets that support the WH as well. http://www.aamag.com/heaterpan.htm Thom McMahon, SET Firetech, Inc. 2560 Copper Ridge Dr P.O. Box 882136 Steamboat Springs, CO 80488 Tel: 970-879-7952 Fax: 970-879-7926 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Leyton Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 6:50 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: water heaters above ceiling If it were 13R I'd say, not fuel-fired equipment, so no on the sprinklers. In a 13 design, and you being in New England where interpretive thinking can run wild, I could see an AHJ saying that at least a sentry sprinkler is required because the heating elements would represent a potential source of heat that could initiate combustion. But absent a fuel load, there's no potential energy so I think the answer's still no. Steve Leyton Protection Design & Consulting San Diego, CA -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Todd Williams Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 5:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: water heaters above ceiling I am working on a 6 story residential building constructed entirely of concrete. All of the spaces above the ceilings would qualify as non-combustible per 13. Now the owner wants to install electric water heaters above the ceilings in the bathrooms. Would the addition of the heater now require the space to be sprinkelred? Todd G. Williams, PE Fire Protection Design/Consulting Stonington, CT 860.535.2080 www.fpdc.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] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5107 (20100512) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5107 (20100512) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.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] (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)
