I was trying to stay away, I really was, but Geo's e-mail is a great segue ...
 
It is a great time to see what the system(s) will actually produce at different 
inlet pressures.   And to add signage to the FDC(s) that tell the responding 
engineer what to pump in order to get whatever GPM and PSI are to be delivered 
at the referenced outlets.   If you have both 65psi and 100psi era Class I 
standpipes, you can definitely work with the AHJ to come up with a mutually 
satisfactory methodology for testing and performance.   Verify with the AHJ 
what types of nozzles or tips they use or carry for attack lines what the 
minimum good working pressure is for each.  If the systems are built with 
standard weight fittings and valves, then see what you can get out of the 
remote standpipe at 175psi inlet pressure and call it a day, unless the 
performance is so grossly inadequate as to cause concern for the AHJ, in which 
case you have what is known in technical terms as a SNAFU.
 
As an example of how at least one FD has grown to address this wide range of 
standpipe performance (sometimes in the same building), City of San Franciso 
trucks and engines carry three different types of tips.  If the ones fitting to 
the hose packs aren't right for a particular fire, they can go all the way down 
to low pressure smooth bore or straight stream.   But it starts with knowing 
what's gonna come out and the signage is now a prescriptive requirement of both 
13 and 14, and which can be easily retrofitted.
 
SML

________________________________

From: [email protected] on behalf of George Church
Sent: Thu 12/29/2011 12:26 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: NFPA 25 standpipe test



Todd-
If the intent of NFPA 25 and this test is to confirm the stuff actually works, 
it might be a great time to find out what the pipe scheduled standpipes will 
produce-
Better to know soon, rather than find out when there's a fire in an 
unsprinklered area (since that's the same area where these old standpipes will 
be, Murphy's Law of Cascading Catastrophes) what the FD can expect to get out 
of these, and if they blow apart or not.


George L.  Church, Jr., CET  
Rowe Sprinkler Systems, Inc.
PO Box 407, Middleburg, PA 17842
877-324-ROWE       570-837-6335 fax
[email protected]



-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] 
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Todd Williams
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 2:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: NFPA 25 standpipe test

Exactly what I am dealing with. Quite honestly, if I saw something that said 
flow the most remote hose outlet, I would only flow one outlet at 250 gpm. I 
would not from that surmise that they wanted to recreate an acceptance test, if 
one was ever done. The hospital dates from at least 1912, although I don't know 
when each section was built. There was a major expansion in 2005 when they 
added a second fire pump and increase the area by about 40%.

So would the correct procedure be to go through and date each standpipe and 
figure out how each was sized. Those that are pipe schedule could be left 
alone, the pre 1993 need to be tested to 1250 gpm (partially sprinklered) and 
65 psi at the top outlet and those from 2005 tested at 1000 gpm (fully 
sprinklered) at 100 psi?

Is there anything other than handbook commentary that details exact testing 
procedures? We are using 2002 standards.



At 10:12 AM 12/29/2011, you wrote:
>The confusion started when 25 said flow the most remote hose
>connection.  Some focused on the fact that it used the singular tense
>verses plural so obviously they only had to flow from ONE outlet and
>since an outlet only has to flow 250 gpm THAT was the amount to flow
>for the test.  DOH!
>
>Roland
>
>On Dec 29, 2011, at 6:14 AM, Todd Williams wrote:
>
>>I am working with a hospital with a total of 9 standpipes. There are
>>standpipes that are both pre and post 1993. The original building is
>>partially sprinklered and the new section is fully sprinklered.
>>
>>1. Is the intent of NFPA 25 that multiple standpipes be flowed
>>simultaneously to meet the 1250 gpm demand?
>>
>>2. Should the two sections of the hospital be flow independent of each
>>other?
>>
>>3. If yes to 1 and 2, could the new section be flowed as a fully
>>sprinklered building (thus 1000 gpm) as opposed to 1250?
>>
>>4. How should i handle pipe schedule standpipes, if any exist?
>>
>>I haven't had to deal with 5 year standpipe tests before.
>>
>>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
>
>_______________________________________________
>Sprinklerforum mailing list
>[email protected]
>http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum

Todd G. Williams, PE
Fire Protection Design/Consulting
Stonington, CT
860.535.2080
www.fpdc.com

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