Sprinkler System

[Deltarat]

Has anyone installed a sprinkler system in their shop? I am going to build a new shop and was worried about fire. I thought a sprinkler would be the best defense. It's going to be 36x50 with a 12x30 room on the side.

 

[aerobb]

I used to design sprinkler systems. Unless you have anything larger than a standard service onto your property, you won't have the volume for a properly designed sprinkler system. It would be considered an industrial application and you'd probably need at least a 2½" service, unless you had trememdous pressure in your lines.

 

[sneezer41]

Yes, but aren't industrial sprinkler systems designed for all possible situations, capable of spewing a huge amount of water? Would not a standard service provide a perfectly adequate safety margin to perhaps save some precious cars and tools by giving the FD more time to get there and put out a fire? Perhaps not sprinklered for insurance purposes, but I would think better than not.

 

[ultgar]

Water service will have to be increased to make the system effective....still cheaper than the clean agent systems on the market.

 

[Junkman]

When you find out what a sprinkler system costs, you will realize that you would be better off building a fire resistant building to house just the cars. If the building isn't heated, then you need a dry system and that adds to the cost of the system. The cost of a sprinkler system, can be the determining factor between building a garage and not building at all in some communities. A friend built a 20,000 square foot building and when he got the permit, there was no mention of needing a sprinkler system. During construction, the fire Marshal paid him a visit and informed him that the town building code required it. When he was done, it added an additional $50,000 to the cost, since he had to pay for upgrading the water system to his building.

 

[rsanter]

I think this is getting a little over complex.
if this is not a big shop you wont need that many sprinkler heads. find out what volume flow each sprinkler head is and multiply times the number of heads.
I have seen homes that have sprinklers in them, and we are not talking a department store sized shop....are we??

bob

 

[Deltarat]

I have seen homes that have sprinklers in them, and we are not talking a department store sized shop....are we??

36 x 50 with a 12 x 30 addition on the side. I was just hoping it would knock down a small fire before it had a chance to get large. The cost may prohibit it.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have seen homes that have sprinklers in them, and we are not talking a department store sized shop....are we??

36 x 50 with a 12 x 30 addition on the side. I was just hoping it would knock down a small fire before it had a chance to get large. The cost may prohibit it.

Why not start buy having a discussion with your local sprinkler installation company, perhaps several just to keep everyone in check.

 

[Crusty Nut]

In most instances the fire will not set off more than 2 or 3 heads. They may not put the fire out, but do a great job holding the fire. I am a fireman so I do know a little about what I'm talking about. I spoke to a sprinkler contractor one day and he thought a small domestic system (verses an industrial one) was a great idea for a home or home shop. Another tip he gave me is that sprinkler heads cannot be reused in a commercial application. So, when you see them doing a remodel on a commercial building there is a very good chance of scoring some used, but good as new heads for free or very cheap. Plumbing it with PVC is also okay. In the worst possible senario, the pipe would melt, thus putting more water on the fire.

 

[kbs2244]

I would be worried about the combination of water and a oil or grease based fire. I was always taught the two don’t mix.
So, in a wood shop it would be OK. But I am not sure about a garage.
Talk to the guys at the local fire dept.
They should have some real world experience.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they just recommended lots of handy dry chem hand extinguishers.

 

[kenfath]

The town east of us has required sprinklers in all new residential construction for about three years. I personally think they are a good idea. The pundits claim the installation cost to be between $1200-$3000 per new home. For reasons I can't explain the water rates in our area are based on the size of your water meter. We have a 5/8th inch meter. The sprinkler systems require a 1.25" or 1.5" water meter and this nearly doubles the basic water rate. I can understand the need for a larger water supply and can see there would be more costs associated with the installation: however there should not be any increased water usage except in the case of a fire and even that should be a small amount. You may want to investigate this aspect of any installation you are considering.

 

[Junkman]

I know that in MA, some towns charge a water use fee for sprinklers based on the number of sprinkler heads that are installed. They don't meter the water that is used if a sprinkler head goes off.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I know that in MA, some towns charge a water use fee for sprinklers based on the number of sprinkler heads that are installed. They don't meter the water that is used if a sprinkler head goes off.

So from what you are saying I take it there is an ongoing monthly rate you are paying regardless of whether the sprinklers discharge or not? If that is so I guess they can easily afford to not charge more if the heads ever activate!

 

[Junkman]

It was a yearly fee, and the last time that I paid it, it was 35 cents per head. It might have gone up since then, but it was fixed rate as long as I was there. I believe that we had 3 or 4 heads per 100 square feet, and the total bill was about $40. Some areas have more heads than others depending on where they were placed and what they were protecting. In the 30 years that I had that space, no sprinklers ever were activated. 30 x $40 = $1200

 

[6768rogues]

I have reviewed and inspected many sprinkler systems and I have been trained in the design, installation and certification of them. First of all, the quantity of water put on the fire must be appropriate for the level of combustibles in the building. A shop will probably contain many combustibles, including gas, oil, solvents, paints, etc. A residential home type of system will not work for the typical garage fire. Residential sprinklers are not designed to save a building or its contents, they are designed to give the occupants a few extra minutes to escape. A residential system does not have the density of water to put out a garage fire. If the water evaporates before it reaches the base of the fire, it will not do anything to put out the fire. Commercial sprinklers are designed for the fire load in categories known as light, ordinary 1, ordinary 2 and extra hazards. An office building would be a light hazard, a car repair facility ordinary 2 hazard. You probably need an ordinary 1 hazard system. Spend $20 or so and buy a copy of NFPA 13, the standard for sprinkler design and installation. It explains everything. There is no sense spending money on a system designed to fail. A typical commercial system costs about $2 to $3 per square foot, and a larger water supply is needed. The quantity of water needed can be calculated as can the water that is available where your building is located. Maybe you should consider a good commercial steel fire resistive cabinet to store your combustible and flammable products in, if you are worried about a fire.

 

[Ironcrow]

I had a residential sprinkler system in my last house. The house was about 3000 sq ft. Water feed to house was 3/4 inch and the sprinkler was 1 inch. No monthly charge of any kind on water bill. The system was professionally filled with an anti-freeze mixture reducing the freeze risk in unheated crawl space etc. Cost was $5000. It was all copper pipe.

The heated garage was detached and code did not require sprinklers there, so that was what the builder provided. Nothing there.

I was told the same thing - the system was intended to knock the fire down to give more escape time, not save the structure.