FM Global recently updated their Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 8-9, Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities (July 2019 edition), to include ceiling-only sprinkler designs for ceiling heights up to 50…
Read More Category: Sprinkler Technology and Updates
Viking’s Model VK514 ESFR Storage Sprinkler is now FM Approved to provide ceiling-only protection for storage up to 50 ft. under ceilings up to 55 ft. in height. Key sprinkler data is as follows: K28.0,…
Read MoreAs the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states, “NFPA 13 is the industry benchmark for design and installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems. NFPA 13 addresses sprinkler system design approaches, system installation, and component options…
Read MoreThe Viking Corporation has introduced the next size in Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) technology with their model VK514 sprinkler head. This pendent head has a nominal Kfactor of 28.0 (404 metric), with a 1in.…
Read MoreCounterfeit equipment and materials, no matter whether it is currency, watches or medicine, affect the reliability of the end user’s systems as well as the reputation of the authentic manufacturers. Automatic sprinkler heads are no…
Read MoreYou might think that since you have smoke detection and/or heat detection in your building that it is almost as good as having sprinkler protection to protect your property. Is there really that much difference…
Read MoreThe old requirement/standard for the installation of pressure relief valves was only for gridded systems. Since 2010, NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems requires relief valves for all wet-pipe systems. The current…
Read MoreRecent studies by Liberty Mutual and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) have shown that sprinklers are the most effective way to reduce loss of life and property damage in industrial occupancies (warehouses and manufacturing facilities).…
Read MoreFlue spaces are necessary for rack storage arrangements to allow heat from a fire to quickly vent vertically. This is critical in order to help ensure the ceiling-level sprinklers will operate as quickly as possible.…
Read MoreIn times gone by, sprinkler heads came in basic flavors, with a few relatively limited options and permutations available: 1/2 inch orifice, 17/32 inch orifice, low, medium, or high temperature. Today, like much else in…
Read MoreBooster pumps are often needed to boost the pressure of the city water supply to make it adequate for sprinkler system designs. However, an unintended result could be obtaining pressures that are too high. This…
Read MoreFM Global Data Sheet 3-26, Fire Protection Water Demand for Nonstorage Sprinklered Properties, is used to determine sprinkler system designs and hose demands for non-storage occupancies, which are not considered storage occupancies in facilities. FM…
Read MoreHVLS fans were originally used in Australia in the dairy industry to help keep humidity low for the cattle. When the original design was introduced in Australia, it was mandatory for the HVLS fans to…
Read MoreOne of the most effective fire protection elements in buildings is automatic sprinklers. When sprinklers cover an area of fire origin, they operate in 95% of all reported structure fires that are large enough to…
Read MoreSeveral years ago a college student set fire to a dormitory at Seton Hall University located in Newark, NJ. The fire tragically killed several students. Automatic sprinkler protection was not installed in the dorm, nor…
Read MoreNFPA 13 is the most important standard for the design of automatic sprinkler systems. Fire protection engineers use this detailed standard to determine the design of an automatic sprinkler system. There are many factors that…
Read MoreOur technical articles, ESFR Sprinkler Summary and Managing Your ESFR Sprinkler System, detailed the history of Early Suppression, Fast-Response (ESFR) sprinklers, provided some installation details and listed some facts/figures for the various ESFR heads available.…
Read MoreWhen considering fire protection for situations where temperatures are below freezing, automatic fire sprinklers provide the best fire protection advantages; but sprinkler systems use water, and water presents a freezing problem. This is the dilemma…
Read MoreThe fire protection engineering industry views smoke and heat venting in warehouse type occupancies as a waste of money and a hindrance to the performance of an automatic sprinkler system. Why do building codes constantly…
Read MoreOne of changes in the 2002 Edition of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems that often goes unnoticed or enforced is the requirement of a building owner or their authorized representative to…
Read MoreThere are thousands of buildings in the United States that were built involving building codes that did not require automatic sprinkler protection. Most of them now have grandfather status and are not required to install…
Read MoreOur August 2003 article briefly described the different types of suppression-mode sprinklers. We’ll now explain the reasons leading to the development of suppression -mode upright heads. When suppression-mode sprinklers were first being developed, a problem…
Read MoreThere was a time when hydraulic design of automatic sprinkler systems was unusual. The process was cumbersome and time consuming even for the simplest of pipe arrangements. Access to computers capable of assisting in this…
Read MoreA hot topic involved in sprinkler design and installation is ESFR (Early Suppression Fast-Response) sprinklers. ESFR sprinklers have many benefits when it comes to warehouses and other storage facilities, however it is also important to…
Read MoreESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinkler systems are designed to achieve fire suppression for a specific type of storage occupancy before the fire becomes fully developed. ESFR heads vary with K-factors of 11.2, 14.7, 17…
Read MoreOne of the largest fires in the history of New York City occurred on Superbowl Sunday, January 31, 1993. Fire broke out in a corporate high-rise office building located at 280 Park Avenue in Manhattan.…
Read MoreIn fire protection service, pressure reducing valves (PRV’s) can be found on standpipes and automatic sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings, in pump houses, on public and private gravity water systems and other situations where conditions…
Read MoreThe Viking Corporation, global manufacturer of fire protection systems, has introduced the industry’s first 14K Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) Upright Sprinkler, company officials announced. Unlike pendent ESFRs, Viking’s Model A-4 ESFR Upright sprinklers may…
Read MoreUnderwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is currently investigating field reports that certain Central Sprinkler Co. Model GB automatic sprinklers may leak or even worse, not operate during a fire because they require higher water pressure to…
Read MoreThe Central Sprinkler Co. of Lansdale, PA has designed a new ESFR sprinkler head with pressure requirements of up to 60% less than its ESFR predecessors. The new Ultra K-25 ESFR sprinkler head has already…
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