NFPA Safety Alert for Antifreeze...

[Frii]

Long time lurker here.
I am sure most of you are aware of the Alert issued, but if not here you go.

More reading at the link below as well.


NFPA issues safety alert regarding antifreeze in residential sprinklers




On July 6, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued a safety alert recommending that residential fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze should be drained and the antifreeze replaced with water. The alert follows a research study and an initial set of fire tests conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a single fatality and serious injury to another person.

AFSA has been and continues to follow these developments closely. We have urged that testing be conducted as quickly as possible, with the hope that the results and subsequent standards modifications can be made before cold weather arrives. AFSA is mindful that NFPA is obligated to take strong positions in support of life safety and we anticipated a moratorium on the use of antifreeze until testing was complete, but we were surprised by the recommendation to drain existing systems and replace antifreeze with water.

NFPA and the NFPA Research Foundation have put this issue as a top priority. They are moving very rapidly to complete testing on this issue. NFPA anticipates that testing will be complete, and Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) will be addressed prior to the Standards Council meeting in August. Their goal is to have recommendations or standards modifications prior to the arrival of the "cold season."

AFSA will continue to work closely with NFPA and keep you informed on future developments. Expect to hear more soon. Complete information is available from NFPA at

http://www.nfpa.org/antifreeze/.

 

[pipesnpumps]

Saw this in the recent TIAs.. >=70% anti-freeze onto a fire = increase in heat release rate, and possible explosion.

Bizzare stuff, but it is not entirely different from lighting off a oil-fired burner.. You have a pilot flame, then you atomize the oil and spray it into the flame which lights off the oil.

No one ever considered contractors would fill a system completely with anti-freeze (a class III combustible liquid). Murphy's law in action.

 

[chevy4x4trucks]

If you put water on a grease fire it can cause an explosion so wouldn't something similiar have happened?

 

[cdafd]

"""If you put water on a grease fire it can cause an explosion so wouldn't something similiar have happened? """

no you should get more flame increase/spread

http://www.sierrasun.com/assets/pdf/SS61631222.PDF

 

[DanEE]

Ethylene glycol can be pretty hard to light off, but can produce some extreme amount of smoke..

It is used as the electrolyte in large electrolytic capacitors..

The following is from tests many years ago of the fire potential in a high energy power system utilizing these. An internal electrical short in the capacitor was the initiator. Typically internal temperatures beyond 400 degrees F(the best we could measure temperature was thermocouples on the capacitor screw terminals and was the point reaching 400 degrees F) was the point where they either vented or the can ruptured.

In that era capacitors also used pitch as a potting compound to hold the wound aluminum core inside the larger capacitor can. The pitch was the major hazard. This 1986 patent documents the hazards of using pitch and patents a better alternative.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4584630.html

Depending of the mechanics of the rupture, the pitch would auto ignite and burn with a bright blue flame, but we never had the ethlyene glycol ignite. The smoke generated (and I sure, toxic fumes) was impressive.

I see in checking the MSDS for ethlyene glycol, I see the apparent reason why we didn't see ignition. Apparently we never reached the 748 deg F.

However, one would surmise that pure anti-freeze aersolled into an explosive mist under the right conditions coming out of a sprinkler head on to an open flame could get ugly.

MSDS exerpt below for Ethlyene Glycol)

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/E5125.htm

Fire Fighting Measures

Fire:
Flash point: 111C (232F) CC
Autoignition temperature: 398C (748F)
Flammable limits in air % by volume:
lel: 3.2; uel: 15.3
Slight to moderate fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
Explosion:
Above flash point, vapor-air mixtures are explosive within flammable limits noted above. Containers may explode when involved in a fire.
Fire Extinguishing Media:
Dry chemical, foam or carbon dioxide. Water or foam may cause frothing. Water spray may be used to extinguish surrounding fire and cool exposed containers. Water spray will also reduce fume and irritant gases.
Special Information:
In the event of a fire, wear full protective clothing and NIOSH-approved self-contained breathing apparatus with full facepiece operated in the pressure demand or other positive pressure mode. Toxic gases and vapors may be released if involved in a fire.

 

[chevy4x4trucks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcF2G7cr0-0

Water on a grease fire....

My point is that this is going to be a hazard no matter what if there is an antifreeze solution or just water.