Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
(OP)
Hello,
My facility has a wet sprinkler system that serves a shopping mall and a commercial building housing offices.the mall and the building share the same structure and the mall's basement houses the fire pumps.the building's basement is one level above the fire pump room's level and it here that the main header terminates.the mall's basement and the building's basement are partitioned and the main header,after serving the mall's basement Alarm check valve assemblies/sprinklers,terminates in the building's basement.there are 4 alarm check valve assemblies in this bbuilding's basement out of which 3 serve the parking lot via pendent and upright sprinklers and one particular ACV(tagged ACV-D) is for protecting the 20 floors(every floor has a floor control/isolation valve assembly).
the alarm check valve assemblies in the building;s basement had remained inactive for the past 2 years i found many components missing.pipes were rusted,hangers missing.ACV-D was inactive too with its OS & Y valve closed,check valve's external by-pass dead,no water motor alarm gong etc...the system side(sprinkler side) of the ACV-D was found being pressurized by the overhead water tank.i,e the riser downstream the alarm check valve asembly -D terminated in the overhead tank and there was a BUTTERFLY valve up at the top that seemed to serve as an isolation valve.in each floor there are isolation valves without flow switches and pressure regulating valves.
i am tasked with activating this buildings's fire system,from the basement to the top floor. how do i go about this? i will have to do flushing,selection,procurement and installation of mising items,adjustment settings of pressure relief/regulating valves etc.
My facility has a wet sprinkler system that serves a shopping mall and a commercial building housing offices.the mall and the building share the same structure and the mall's basement houses the fire pumps.the building's basement is one level above the fire pump room's level and it here that the main header terminates.the mall's basement and the building's basement are partitioned and the main header,after serving the mall's basement Alarm check valve assemblies/sprinklers,terminates in the building's basement.there are 4 alarm check valve assemblies in this bbuilding's basement out of which 3 serve the parking lot via pendent and upright sprinklers and one particular ACV(tagged ACV-D) is for protecting the 20 floors(every floor has a floor control/isolation valve assembly).
the alarm check valve assemblies in the building;s basement had remained inactive for the past 2 years i found many components missing.pipes were rusted,hangers missing.ACV-D was inactive too with its OS & Y valve closed,check valve's external by-pass dead,no water motor alarm gong etc...the system side(sprinkler side) of the ACV-D was found being pressurized by the overhead water tank.i,e the riser downstream the alarm check valve asembly -D terminated in the overhead tank and there was a BUTTERFLY valve up at the top that seemed to serve as an isolation valve.in each floor there are isolation valves without flow switches and pressure regulating valves.
i am tasked with activating this buildings's fire system,from the basement to the top floor. how do i go about this? i will have to do flushing,selection,procurement and installation of mising items,adjustment settings of pressure relief/regulating valves etc.





RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
You will need to replace all defective and missing components. I would then have the system air tested (provided there is no CPVC piping) to check for leaks. Repair all leaks and then perform a hydrostatic test to see if it will hold pressure.
You also may need to have a fire protection engineering firm do a hazard analysis of the building to determine if hazards have changed from the original design and the planned usages. This may require some system modifications to the system as well.
Basically, you have Pandora's Box. Be careful what you open.
Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com
"Follow" us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MFP-Design-LLC/9221...
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
You can contact me with your area, and I can provide a list of companies from which to choose. Or you can yellow page it as well. Did I say please do not attempt this?
R/
Matt
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
1. the Acv-d's system(sprinkler) side is fed by the overhead water tank that supplies potable water to the office floors and there is a butterfly valve in this riser(that terminates in the tank). this was obviously some sort of make shift arrangment...now that we need to bring this system in compliance with the standard..i.e. pressurization via fire pump..should i remove the butterfly valve? i am also thinking of installing an air release valve here as the riser does not have any ARV at any point ..
2.this particular ACV-d does not have a pressure regulating valve installed..i will need to cut open the incoming branch from the main fire header and installl a PRV here..how should i go about its selection ? and to what pressure do i set it?
3.all floor isolation valves are installed witout flow swtiches and PRESSURE REDUCING/regulating VALVES...though they have test and drain valves there.... should pressure reducing valves be installed downstream the isolation valves or reglating valves and to what pressures should they be set to against what criteria? i am not sure about the sprinkler rating for EACH floor..no documents available..sprinkler,however ,are installed in theese offices..
4.is there any nfpa standard for pipe painting etc?
5.there is only a 1 or 1.5 inch globe valve in the main fire header that comes from the level down fire pump room into this building's basement and that too between ACV's.i do not see any other option than to bleed air from this one..plan: attach a hose pipe to this globe valve..route to to a near by drain and turn on the pump and bled air till we dont see air bubbles. anymore in the hose..
6.should i first DRAIN the system ,install the missing items in these ACV's(like alarm gong,retard chamber,external bypasses of check valves,guages,repair of OS & y valve gaskets,fittings,pressure/flow switches) and then PERFORM FLUSHING while bleeeding air ? for any repair work/impairmnt correction i will HAVE to shut down(by closing all mall basement ACV's OS & Y gate valves that are operative) the whole system and drain(in two steps: by a down-oriented 2 inch valve in the main header that enters the building basement to drain a major volume of water and then by opening the 6 inch return line from the main header in the fire pump room into the fire water tank(spill into tank) ) the whole main header as there is NO isolation valve ,isolating the mall basement from the building basement..
7.what sort of hydraulic calculations would i be rquired to do at any stage?
8.after installing the missing ACV accessories,i will unplug all associated sprinklers of these ACVs and then re-pressurise the system by the fire pump so as to flush the sprinkler lines/branches as well as bleed air..correct approach?
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
Besides asking questions here, the ahj may want some things done to the system and building.
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
I'll offer one more time, Please do not attempt what you are describing. Hire a professional.
R/
Matt
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com
"Follow" us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MFP-Design-LLC/9221...
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
1 - Replace what is missing
2 - Fix what is broken
3 - verify
But, it takes some people decades to get competent at this stuff. Trying to do a project that appears relatively large on a first go without any supervision is likely going to be troublesome. As I said above, you have Pandora's Box. Be careful what you open.
Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com
"Follow" us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MFP-Design-LLC/9221...
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
It is impossible to say where to start. You have missing items. These must be replaced. If you do not use the exact item, you need to read NFPA #13.
I promise you we are not being difficult. It really is that complex if you do not have Years of experience and certification.
An example Trish, when I am asked how much a Fire Sprinkler System costs. I turn around and ask how much is a car.
Then you start to understand a small score of the variables associated with these systems.
You have Automotive after your name I just remembered. I will try and ask a question along the automotive line.
My front right tire will not rotate. I am missing pieces of equipment under the hood. The reading at the exhaust pipe is 0.00cfm. Where should I start?
The offer still stands to get you in contact with someone in your area....
R/
Matt
(30 years this year....)
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/document-i...
Call NFPA @ 1-800-344-3555 and tell them you want a NFPA 25-2014 Handbook.
RE: Activating a wet sprinkler fire suppresion system that was dead for the past 2 years
Talking to the ahj to see what they want