13D Systems
What, Why and How
Oregon Fire Sprinkler Coalition
The Fire Problem
Statistics
 National
 Each day 7 people die home fires
 Each year on average over 2,500 people
die and more than 13,000 people are
injured in home fires
 Fires kill more people each year than all
natural disasters combined
 Children and the elderly are most at risk
 Oregon
 From 2004 to 2013 there were:
 nearly 350 fire deaths
 more than 2,500 injuries
Source: NFPA
Residential Sprinklers
A Proven Solution
 Occupant safety:
 Sprinklers reduce civilian fire deaths by
83%
 Sprinklers reduce civilian fire injury
medical costs by 53%
 Sprinklers reduce civilian fire injury total
costs by 41%
Source: NFPA
Residential Sprinklers
A Proven Solution
 Firefighter safety:
 Sprinklers are responsible for an
estimated 65% reduction in firefighter fire
ground injuries
 Property Loss:
 Sprinkler reduce direct property damage
per fire by 69%
Source: NFPA
13D…Born of Necessity
 America Burning – 1973:
 Nation Commission on Fire
Prevention and Control
 More fire deaths in homes than
any other industrialized nation
 Identified a need to:
 Reduce fire deaths in America
 Make sprinklers more
affordable
 Make residential sprinklers
more aesthetically appealing
13D…Born of Necessity
 America Burning – 1973
Brought about:
 NFIRS - National Fire Incident
Reporting System
 USFA – US Fire Administration
 NFA – National Fire Academy
And….
The Standard of Care – NFPA
13D
 A Different Philosophy than NFPA 13:
 Focus on life-safety (survivability)
 Operate in tandem with smoke
alarms for occupant notification
 Address affordability
 A Balance: Life Safety and
Money
NFPA 13D
A Standard Referenced by Codes
 Codes point toward standards
 A Standard becomes code when it is
referenced by an enabling
document, such as a state building
code
 Oregon Fire Code
 Based on IFC
 Oregon Structural Specialty
Code
 Based on IBC
NFPA 13D
A Standard Referenced by Codes
 Codes address when sprinklers apply:
 Access issues
 Grades
 Lot characteristics
 Tradeoffs
 Ordinances / Statutes
 Standards address how the sprinklers apply:
 Design criteria
 Sprinkler locations / spacing
 Materials allowed
 Connection to water supplies
NFPA 13D
Scope and purpose
Scope of Document:
1.1.1 This standard shall cover the design,
installation, and maintenance of automatic
sprinkler systems for protection against the
fire hazards in one- and two-family dwellings
and manufactured homes.
1.1.3 This standard shall be based on the
concept that the sprinkler system is designed
to protect against a fire originating from a
single ignition location.
NFPA 13D
Scope and purpose
Purpose of Document:
1.2.1 The purpose of this standard shall be to provide a
sprinkler system that aids in the detection and control of
residential fires and thus provides improved protection
against injury and life loss.
1.2.2 A sprinkler system shall be designed and installed
in accordance with this standard to prevent flashover
(total involvement) in the room of fire origin, where
sprinklered, and to improve the chance for occupants to
escape or be evacuated.
NFPA 13D
Scope and purpose
 Standard Applies to:
 Single Family residence
 Townhouses
 If built to the IRC (ORSC)
 Duplex Homes
 Manufactured homes
Design Principles
Sprinklers in an easier design scenario
 Design approach based on historical data
 Water supply is only required to accommodate
two sprinklers at any given time
 Even with that approach, 84% of the time, a
single head controls the fire in this type of
system
 If the largest room can be protected with a
single sprinkler, the design can be based on one
head flowing
Source: NFPA
Design Principles
Sprinklers in an easier design scenario
 Sprinklers are located where loss of life historically
occurs:
 Kitchens
 Bedrooms
 Living rooms / Corridors
Source: NFPA
Design Principles
Sprinklers in an easier design scenario
 Sprinklers are not required in:
 Closets (under 24 Sq Ft)
 Bathrooms (under 55 Sq Ft)
 Exterior eaves / porches
balconies / closets
 Rooms in attics or under structure
that aren’t connected to dwelling
area
 And do not contain fuel-fired
equipment
Source: NFPA
13D System Types
Stand-Alone Type: A sprinkler system where
the aboveground piping serves only fire
sprinklers
13D System Types
 Multi-Purpose System: A piping system
intended to serve both domestic needs in excess
of a single fixture and fire protection needs from
one common piping system throughout the
dwelling unit(s).
13D System Types
 Passive Purge (Flow
Through): A type of
sprinkler system that
serves a single toilet
in addition to the fire
sprinklers.
13D System Types
 Network System: A
type of multipurpose
system utilizing a
common piping system
supplying domes- tic
fixtures and fire
sprinklers where each
sprinkler is supplied by
a minimum of three
separate paths
System Components and Features
System Alarms
 Two Alarm scenarios:
 Notification provided by NFPA 72 compliant
Smoke Alarms, or
 Waterflow device and local bell (optional)
OR
+
System Components and Features
Residential Sprinkler Heads
 Performance – Higher wall wetting
 Fuel loads are near walls in
residential occupancies
 Controls the environment
 Greater coverage areas
 Faster response
 Easily applicable design criteria
 Design criteria maximizes a
smaller water supply
: NFPA
System Components and Features
 Residential Sprinkler Heads:
 Aesthetically Appealing
 There are many cutting-edge, flush type heads
that blend into the ceiling
 Some manufacturers offer as many as 300
custom paint colors.
:
System Components and Features
 Piping and Materials
 A variety of common material types
 All listed for potable water supplies
CPVC
PEX / Other
Copper
Municipal Water Supplies
 Works with the plumbing supply, not in addition to it:
 Only 7 PSI required for fire sprinklers
 Most domestic systems require 8 PSI (UPC, IPC)
 16 GPM could supply a one head sprinkler design.
 Most average homes require a minimum of 18 GPM
for domestic use (IRC)
 Most residential sprinkler systems will flow more, but a
¾” meter (35 GPM) will usually be plenty of water (2
sprinklers x 16 GPM = 32 GPM)
Source: OPSC
Municipal Water Supplies
 Upgrading to a 1” meter isn’t the only option!
 3/4” meters are a popular option for many Water
Purveyors (35 GPM)
 A system can sometimes be designed using an existing
5/8” meter (20 GPM)
 Most average homes require a minimum of 18 GPM
for domestic use
Source: OPSC / IRC
Municipal Water Supplies
 An increasing number of Water Purveyors are starting to
recognize that sprinklers use less water than the water
used from unmetered fire hydrants that would otherwise
be needed to suppress a fire in a home
 Sprinklers use 90% less water than the fire service
would use if sprinklers weren’t installed.
 They reduce fire damage by 97%
 They reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 98%.
Sprinklers also reduce wastewater pollution.
Source: FM Global
Private / Stored Water Supplies
 An easy solution for private water supplies (tanks and wells)
 10 minute Duration:
 A typical scenario: 280 Gallon Tank (28 GPM x 10 Min)
 7 minute Duration (Single story under 2000 Sq Ft):
 This can be as low as 196 Gallon Tank (28 GPM x 7
Min)
Source: NFPA 13D
Private / Stored Water Supplies
 Tanks and pumps not required to be listed
 In some scenarios, a tank and pump supply might be more
cost effective than a meter upsizing fee and SDC charge
Source: NFPA 13D
System Maintenance
A Maintenance Friendly System - Requirements
 13D Inspection, Testing and Maintenance (ITM)
 The maintenance requirements are simple:
 Walk the sprinklers periodically (no specific
time requirement) to look for:
 Obstructions to discharge (storage, etc)
 Painted or damaged heads
 Annual backflow test, if device is installed
(not typically required)
Source: NFPA 13D
System Maintenance
A Maintenance Friendly System - Recommendations
 13D Inspection, Testing and Maintenance (ITM)
 The maintenance recommendations are also simple:
 Annual flow test if a waterflow detector and bell
are installed (optional devices)
 Annual backflow test, if device is installed
(backflow device not typically required)
 Annual inspection by a qualified contractor
Source: NFPA 13D
13D Saves Lives…and Money!
Taking advantage of the 13D Design to Save Money
 Bang for your buck – Pricing the system:
 Get several bids
 Oregon state online list of contractors
 Builders Exchanges
 Google it!
 Phone book
 Contact local Fire and Building
Departments
 Call some builders
 Explore the different system types
Conclusion
13D is designed to be an achievable balance between
protection and cost
Questions?