redesigning shop. Sprinkler question

[chrismaki]

Greetings all. I am the only maintenance tech at a small woodworking MFG company. We are redesigning our shop and a large part of that is running new ductwork. I am having a lot of issues finding out where I can place the ductwork in relation to the sprinkler piping. Most of the duct will be run perpendicular to the sprinkler piping so I do not believe that will cause any issues. However one branch will run parallel to the sprinkler piping. It will be about 2 feet below the piping. It will be a 15 inch round duct. How far away from the sprinkler do I need to run the duct? I have plenty of space to work with but the further I move it away the poorer my duct collection might be. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[cdafd]

Best advice contact the fire sprinkler company that does your hopefully annual inspections

Let them look at it, more than likely some will need to be moved

They can see the system and you can tell them what you want to do

To many variables to answer here

 

[chrismaki]

I'm not looking to move the sprinkler piping. I'm looking to install the ductwork with enough clearance. If I was say 10 feet away would this be far enough? Or what if I was 5 feet? 5 feet away is easily doable. Sorry I don't have a ton of information on this. I asked if we can have our engineer look into this and I was told that she is busy and I should look it up myself.

 

[cdafd]

To many variables

More than likely some sprinklers will have to be moved , I understand you do not want to

If you get the sprinkler company involved you may not have to move any or limited amount

 

[stookeyfpe]

I'll bite. Can you post a sketch?

 

[chrismaki]

Here is a VERY crude drawing. The left side is a height and the right side is a top down drawing.

 

[TravisMack]

Based on your sketch, the answer is very simple. However, not knowing if all information is in your sketch, you need to have a competent sprinkler contractor come look at it. Hopefully you have an annual inspection done on your system and the same contractor can readily answer your questions.

Sprinklers are not just decoration. They are life safety and property protection. You don't want to take advice from some person on an internet forum, install your ductwork that may be obstructing sprinklers, have a fire and the sprinklers not work properly so that you lose part of the building or some one loses their life just because you didn't want to call the inspection company to come look at something really simple.

I'm not trying to be a jerk with my advice or lack thereof. It is just that sprinklers have an effective history because there is a strict rule set that is followed. If that rule set is deviated from, then the effectiveness dwindles significantly.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC

http://www.mfpdesign.com

 

[chrismaki]

Ok I will let the boss know. The issue we are going to run into is that we are leasing our building so anything regarding the building itself runs through a different company that doesn't like spending money if they do not have to. I will address it as we need to get someone in. Thanks for the sort of help.

 

[cdafd]

different company as in owner or leaseing agent or different company as in another branch of your company.


If you have the fire sprinkler company come out before you do any work they an advise you on where to locate the duct work with either no impact or minimal impact, as in moving a head, on the fire sprinkler system.

 

[chrismaki]

2 companies share a building. owners of other company own a 3rd company that owns the building. both companies have a lease for use of the building by 3rd company. its confusing to me too.

 

[TravisMack]

Honestly, there is a 99% chance that the duct can be located so that it has zero impact to the sprinkler system. You just want to make sure that you have some one with experience put an eye to it so that something minor does not get overlooked that could have a major effect.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC

http://www.mfpdesign.com

 

[cdafd]

Normally a person leasing a space,, pays for any improvements/ changes to said space

 

[racookpe1978]

Key word and tricky phrase here ... YOU are a woodworking company, renting a space in a shared building. Your shared "partner" may not be a woodworking company, but may be generating heat/sparks/flammable gasses and vapors as well that can accumulate up high.

Dust IS an issue, and that dust (fire hazard by itself, and an accumulating hazard of continuously absorbing oils and particles from anything else in the atmosphere are going to exaggerate your fire hazards up high on top of the ducts and old pipes and supports above your floor.
So, even if you keep your floor area scrupulously clean (and few woodworking and industrial companies are prefect in this regard) you face an increasing danger above the sprinklers as well as the "usual" fire and dust hazards down near the working floor.

Get an on-site inspection now (before the change), and then re-check it after the duct change (and its associated increased debris fall from the old stuff ap there.)