Polybutylene residential fire sprinkler repair 1

[SantaJamesHowland]

I have a contractor customer who cut through the side of a 1 1/4 inch polybutylene fire sprinkler pipe with a sawzall. We have used PEX adapters in the past but they only go up to one inch. This is an apartment building under renovation so the clock is running on this. They can't get a new CO until the sprinkler system is back in service.

 

[cdafd]

Call the fire sprinkler company that normally works on the complex system
Or call a fire sprinkler company that works on that type of piping.


Is the pipe orange in color??

 

[stookeyfpe]

Cross-linked polybutylene was never permitted by NFPA 13R and PEX isn't currently allowed. If you have an apartment building with a sprinkler system using this piping system I find the entire design highly suspect - or - you're doing repairs on a fire protection system and attempting to use materials and methods not recognized by NFPA 13R.

 

[SprinklerDesigner2]

Stookey, I seem to remember there was a polybutylene pipe that was approved. I am thinking this was 25 or 30 years ago but it never really caught on. Prior to 1994 maybe?

I found this that says it was once approved for 13D systems but..... bottom left of page 311


But I remember venders trying to peddle this stuff for 13R systems but I never bought it.

That aside something like this would scare me to death from a liability issue.

 

[stookeyfpe]

SD2:

Cross linked polybutylene has always been recognized in NFPA 13D. However, this person was asking about an apartment building. I may be getting slower and I don't always process information as fast as did when I was younger - BUT - I'm pretty damn sure it has never been allowed by NFPA 13R.

 

[MatthewJWillis]

Bulls eye.

You touch that pipe for other than removal, you buy the system...

R/
Matt

 

[SantaJamesHowland]

We Are In Atlanta and there are a ton of butylene sprinkler systems in apartments dating from the 80s. It's fuse joint pipe and never had the leakage problems that the domestic bute systems had but due to the bad press it was pulled from the market.
We never jumped on the butyl band wagon after a factory rep, demoing the product at our shop, screwed it up twice before doing a successful join. I told my boss that if he couldn't get it right on a table how are our guys going to do in some attic? Still I hate to tell the guy that he needs a whole new system due to one cut pipe. He mentioned shark bite couplings and I told him we couldn't stand behind them but he may have his plumber do it all the same.

 

[MatthewJWillis]

Then that will become the most profitable system you ever bowed out of.
Following a formal letter to the owner.

R/
Matt

 

[bmlxd40]

I too am in Atlanta, and have also seen quite a few PB systems in apartments in our area.

 

[cdafd]

Any web links to pictures of these systems???