Air Venting Requirement in NFPA 13 2016

[fpst]

The 2016 edition of NFPA 13 now requires an air vent on every wet system:

7.1.5 Air Venting. A single air vent with a connection conforming to 8.16.6 shall be provided on each wet pipe system utilizing metallic pipe. (See A.8.16.6.)
7.1.5.1 Venting from multiple points on each system shall not be required.
...
8.16.6* Air Venting. The vent required by 7.1.5 shall be located near a high point in the system to allow air to be removed from that portion of the system by one of the following methods:
(1) Manual valve, minimum 1⁄2 in. (15 mm) size
(2) Automatic air vent
(3) Other approved means

Does this mean an inspector's test connection at a high point would be satisfactory, or do we need one of those $1000 automatic ECS air vents for every wet riser once NFPA 13 2016 is locally adopted?

 

[MatthewJWillis]

Option 3 is our saving grace with this.

This requirement was originally meant for the 2010 edition along with the relief valve. The relief made it, the vent did not.
Also remember, the system may require more than 1 depending on layout.

Personally I disagree with this requirement and think it is $$$ driven.
In the old days, one of the last tasks before leaving the jobsite, was to take a bucket and wrench to the highest sprinkler. You would then loosen the sprinkler and "bleed" it.

R/
Matt

 

[fpst]

The standard notes and implies in two places, once in 7.1.5.1 and once in the annex that multiple vents on one system are not practical or required, but would certainly help...
It would really be a nightmare if you had to do that.
on the NFPA webpage they say a "task group" came up with this idea of it being useful and needing to be required. Perhaps it's the "make $ for air vent retailers task group"?

 

[cdafd]

1 says manual valve, so why can't it be the inspector test , if piped correctly or a drain?

 

[SprinklerDesigner2]

I agree with Matt, follow the money.

I recently had to purchase a vent per spec on a project and with tax and freight it ended up over a thousand bucks. We can achieve the same thing with a $50 manual vent, 1" pipe, couple ells and globe valve, and do it better in most cases.

 

[UMDfpe]

As someone who knows several individuals on the NFPA installation committee my understanding is that this was not a "follow the money" requirement. No manufacturers were represented on the task group and the main industry objections (primarily from NFSA) were not in disagreement with the concept, but rather the belief that the code language was too vague and provided too little guidance to the installing contractor.

In my opinion this is the NFPA correcting itself after it permitted the ITC to be installed at the riser for convenience. It eliminated what was previously a contractor's best practice of venting the trapped air from the system through the remote ITC during filling. The code language allows for a manual vent as has been noted, so a remote ITC would certainly satisfy this requirement.

 

[chicopee]

The inspector's test connection is not a the highest point, it is at the furthest point from the sprinkler valve.

 

[cdafd]

chicopee (Mechanical)25 Oct 15 01:35
The inspector's test connection is not a the highest point, it is at the furthest point from the sprinkler valve.


Depends


But it could be piped off the highest point