Fire Service Piping at a Building

[jartgo]

Does anyone know where I might find a general schematic layout (or provide one here with an explanation) of the fire service piping at a building? Specifically, showing the relative locations of the water main, BFP, PIV, FDC, sprinkler riser, and any other appurtenances. I've found something close in one of the NFPA documents, but it wasn't clear to me.

Also, what is the purpose of the PIV when there is also a double check BFP on the fire service line?

 

[PEDARRIN2]

The post indicator valve allows the fire department to know at once whether the valve is open or not. Sometimes the double check is in a pit or even inside the building so the fire department does not know if the valve is open or not.

 

[jartgo]

whether it's in a pit or inside a building or out in plain view, how would you tell the position of a double check valve by looking at it? Why would it matter? The double check valve only allows flow in one direction, right?

in my situation, the double check valve is between the main and the FDC, so when the fire dept is pumping into the sprinkler system, the double check BFP would presumably not allow flow back into the main, right?

 

[canman]

Check this link out:

http://www.firehydrant.org/pictures/WSAindex.html

PIV's are not always required in a fire system as long as the fire department has a way to visually tell if the flow of water is open to a building riser. Above grade Double Check Detector Assemblies have 2 OS&Y gate valves that must be locked in the open position with a chain and padlock. This is acceptable to many fire departments in lieu of a PIV. The fire department wants to be able to visually see, when they respond to a fire, that there is an open water connection from the public system to the building. OS&Y gate valves on the DCDA allows this to happen...of course this is subject to the local fire authority.

I have a good schematic that shows a typical fire system but it is at my work and I can provide that on Monday.

Canman

 

[jartgo]

yeah, I'd love to see the schematic when you get a chance. In my case I'm extending a dead-end main (about 1000 feet) to serve a building that sit's off the road from the public main. In this particular case, my extension will actually become part of the public water system (in an easement and turned over to the public water supplier). Off of this new extension I have a line running to the building for domestic, and a line running to the building for fire service. So, I can certainly put a PIV on the fire service line, but there are multiple valves between the existing main and the building, that would shut off supply to the building's fire service. I guess I feel like, "where do the PIV's stop?"

 

[PEDARRIN2]

My understanding is that the PIV is the owner's valve, therefore his responsibility.

The other valves would be the city's valves to have open or closed at their option. They typically do not have any open/closed indication.

When the fire department shows up, they want to know the supply to the building is on. I would think they assume that all upstream valves are open. I could be incorrect in that assumption, though.

Anyway, you should not have to put any indication on the city's valves.

 

[canman]

Pedarrin2 is correct on the ownership issue of valves.

Nibco has some good fire protection sprinkler system info on their website. Page 53 of the below pdf has a schematic in it.

http://www.nibco.com/assets/NIBCOFPCat.pdf