DRY SYSTEM LIMITATION

[NJ1]

Good Morning
I just got a phone call from a friend telling that one of his clients has an issue. Is a day care with a dry system. It has being like that for years and now the fire sub code tells the day care they can not have a dry system in a day care.
The dry system takes care of the day care and then goes into other two spaces. Day care is heated. AHJ requested the day care to be wet and not dry.
Can anybody tell me why? Is there a particular reason?

 

[cdafd]

NOPE

ask the nice ahj for a code reference, or if some other agency is requreing this, something offical

and not because I said so

I take it the freind is a sprinler contractor???


also, may want to make sure of what is being required, if this is a pass on message

 

[NJ1]

That could be a good possibility. I truly do not know what is wrong with this guy. I am waiting to hear back from him.
I will certainly post his excuse here. LOL

 

[cdafd]

did not think, if they make it wet can they keep all the pipe warm without adding anything???


some reason a dry system was put in in the first place!!!!!!!

 

[TravisMack]

Is there something in the life safety code or an amended local code that does not allow dry systems in day care facilities. The only options are to heat the space where the piping is installed, or convert to anti-freeze. If the system is greater than 40 gallon capacity, you will need to calculate the system with the Darcy-Weisbach method to verify that it will work. Depending on your temperature ranges, I have seen as much as 60 psi swings when using DW calcs and low temps to -20°F. You may also need to install a RPZ if you go with anti-freeze.

It could be that they are worried about trip times as to why they don't want a dry system.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC

http://www.mfpdesign.com

 

[NJ1]

Well here is the deal as far as I know. Here is a building that had a dry system for over 10 years. There 3 tenant spaces. One of them is a day care which is heated. The Fire Official now wants that area wet instead of dry. I dont understand what his issue is. That to me is enforcing something not required unless he found something in the code that allows him to require this change but why now. It should be grandfather.
Have you heard of the phrase "Pre-existing non-conforming"

 

[cdafd]

Pre-existing non-conforming

my version is that a something has been there fore awhile, and in today's codes would not be legal for certain reasons, and have not heard the term used with fire protection systems

have heard that it meet code/ standard when installed but does not meet code/standard today, for fire protection systems


I would highly push for black and white from some ahj code, ordinace, etc... before I spent any money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am wondering since it is a strip center if one of the other businesses is pushing the requirement??? and the day care is stuck in the middle?????


it seems like one reason is a storage business, which might not be able to use a dry pipe????


seems like there is something going on and we do not have the enitre story, where is Paul Harvey when you need him???

 

[pipesnpumps]

NFPA 101 for new day care does not require sprinklers unless there is a "mini-atrium". Even if it did, it wouldn't specify dry vs wet. It would just reference that an NFPA 13 system is required, and

I think it is safe to assume the IFC is similiar.

Could it be that some wet-behind the ears type put in a dry gridded system? And since the pipe is gridded, the official is requiring it to be retro-fit to be wet?

Nah, more than like the AHJ is reading his SHOULDs as being SHALLs. (A.7.2).

If by some change this is for some branch of the federal government, then wet is most likely required, just depends on what entity it is since they can all have different criteria. It could also be some other local requirements beyond NFPA 13.

 

[NJ1]

Listen he has not being able to provide a legit reason why to ask such change. We are waiting to hear from him still.