Sticking to the Standard – NFPA 13D
The Benefits of Staying Within the Scope
Oregon Fire Sprinkler Coalition
13D…Born of Necessity
 America Burning – 1973:
 Nation Commission on Fire
Prevention and Control
 In a letter to the President:
 “…emphasize built-in fire safetymeasures which can detect and
extinguish fire…”
 “…believe a continuing federal
focus on the fire problem is a
necessity”
Source: USFA
13D…Born of Necessity
 America Burning – 1973:
 Nation Commission on Fire
Prevention and Control report:
“Appallingly, the richest and most
technologically advanced nation
in the world leads all the major
industrialized countries in per
capita deaths and property loss
from fire.”
Source: USFA
13D…Born of Necessity
 America Burning – 1973
Brought about:
 NFIRS - National Fire Incident
Reporting System
 USFA – US Fire Administration
 NFA – National Fire Academy
13D…Born of Necessity
America Burning – 1973
 Identified a need to:
 Reduce fire deaths in America
 Make sprinklers more
affordable
 Sprinklers at the time were
too costly for residential
applications
 Research to make sprinklers
more aesthetically appealing
NFPA Answers the Call
 1973 – NFPA
 Based on the commission’s report
(America Burning)
 Created a committee to:
 Develop a standard that would
produce a reliable but
inexpensive sprinkler system
for residential occupancies
NFPA Answers the Call
 1973 – NFPA
 Subcommittee developed five
philosophies for the standard:
1. Cost is a major factor
2. Life safety is the primary goal
3. Design based on survivability
 10 minute water supply
 Audible alarm
4. Material compatible with
residential construction
techniques
5. Protection areas based on
historical data
1978-1980 – Research and Tests
 USFA
 Began performing tests on:
 Practicality of a type of
residential sprinkler system
 Evaluation of sprinkler
discharge rates and thermal
sensitivity
 Full-scale fire testing
Source: NFPA
A New Class of Sprinklers
 Residential Sprinklers
 Developed from a new, researched
understanding of tenability
thresholds for:
 Carbon Monoxide
 Temperature
 Oxygen depletion
Test Fire-Without Sprinklers
4000
Carbon Monoxide
3000
PPM
2000
A concentration of as little as
0.04% (400 parts per million)
carbon monoxide in the air can
be fatal.
1000
0
0
60
120
180
240
Time (sec.)
300
360
420
Sources: National Fire Sprinkler Association
Test Fire-With Sprinklers
4000
Carbon Monoxide
3000
PPM
2000
1000
0
0
60
Time (sec.)
120
180
Sources: National Fire Sprinkler Association
Test Fire-Without Sprinklers
3” Below Ceiling
60” Above Floor
36” Above Floor
1400
1200
1000
Temp.
800
600
400
200
0
0
60
120
180
240
Time (sec.)
300
360
420
Sources: National Fire Sprinkler Association
Test Fire-With Sprinklers
140
3” Below Ceiling
60” Above Floor
36” Above Floor
120
100
Temp.
80
60
40
20
0
0
60
120
Time (sec.)
180
240
Sources: National Fire Sprinkler Association
Let’s take a quick peek at the three NFPA
Fire Sprinkler Standards…
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13 – Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems

Applies to:
 Factories
 Business occupancies
 Mercantile
 Care facilities
 Residential (full protection)

Simply, anywhere that 13D and 13R
are not applicable
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13 – Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems

Purpose - The purpose of this standard
shall be to provide a reasonable degree
of protection for life and property from
fire through standardization of design,
installation, and testing requirements for
sprinkler systems, including private fire
service mains, based on sound
engineering principles, test data, and
field experience.
Multiple Sprinklers Activating – Full Protection
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13R – Standard for the Installation of
Sprinkler Systems in Low-Rise Residential
Occupancies

Applies to:
 Hotels / motels
 Dormitories
 Multi-family (apartments)

Buildings to be 4 stories, or 60 ft. in
height max.
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13R – Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems in Low-Rise
Residential Occupancies

Purpose - 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, life
loss, and property damage
Four Sprinklers Activating – Life / Property Protection
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13D – Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems in One – and Two
Family Dwellings and Manufactured
Homes

Applies to:
 One and Two Family Dwellings
 Manufactured Homes
 Townhouses built to IRC
Three Sprinkler Standards
Each Serving A Different Purpose

NFPA 13D – Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems in One – and Two
Family Dwellings and Manufactured
Homes

Purpose - 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
Two Sprinklers Activating – Survivability
13D – You’ve come along way,
baby…or have you?
 No, not really…The 13D Standard has kept
its focus since the beginning!
 Committee Statement from the 1975
Report on Comments for the proposed
standard: “Cost and practicality of
installation were major considerations in
development of this standard”
 13D has never strayed from those
considerations
Becoming Our Own Barrier
 A reminder that we all have a common goal:
 More compliant systems installed in more
homes!
 We can become our own barrier as code officials:
 Confusion caused by misapplication of the
standard
 Even with the best intentions!
 Let’s not forget that we are part of a large
team…
 A ‘Let’s not tell them this isn’t required’
philosophy is counterproductive
It just seems crazy to have a system
this simple…or does it?
 Performance Objective of 13D:
 Protect the environment in the room of
origin for 10 minutes
 Adding requirements, or ‘borrowing’ them
from other sprinkler standards can
undermine the simplicity of 13D
 13D has a proven track record
Adding Requirements That Aren’t
in the Standard

13D is not intended to protect property as
a primary performance objective

13D is intended to control the
environment in a compartment fire for 10
minutes!
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
The Failure Myth

If the house burns to the ground, but the
sprinklers served to get the occupants
out, is it a failure?

The purpose of the system is to save
lives.
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
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
Design Principles
Sprinklers in an easier design scenario
 Design approach based on historical data
 Water supply is only required to accommodate
two sprinklers for a 10 minute duration
 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
 Calculations
 13D Offers three calculations methods:
 Typical Hydraulic Calculations per
NFPA 13 when:
 Looped
 Gridded
 Network
 Simplified Calcs When:
 Straight Run (Stand-alone or
Multipurpose)
 Prescriptive Method When:
 Straight Run (Stand-alone or
Multipurpose)
Source: NFPA
Design Principles
 Design discharge
 System needs to deliver .05 gpm
over design area, or the listing of
the head, whichever is greater
 Up to two sprinklers flowing:
 Sprinklers with greatest
demand
 24 ft ceiling maximum
 8:12 pitch max, or use heads
listed for pitched ceilings
 Decorative beams up to 14”
deep (heads in beams, or in
pockets)
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 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
Adding Requirements That Aren’t
In the Standard

Geographic, Topographic, or Climatic
considerations are a good reason!
 Have a demonstrated need?
 Municipal code

There is a difference between amending
a standard based on a demonstrated
need, and misapplying the standard
based on even the best intentions
Protection Areas
 Bathrooms
 No sprinkler required if under 55
Sq ft
 Spaces having only a toilet or only
a sink can each be considered a
bathroom
 Wall finish not addressed
(It is addressed in 13R and 13)
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Bathrooms
 Adjoining bathrooms need
adequate separation:
 8” Minimum lintel
 Openings between
compartments do not exceed 8
ft. in width
 A single opening, 36” in width,
is permitted without 8” lintel
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Closets
 Sprinklers not required in:
 Clothes closets
 Linen Closets
 Pantries
 These conditions must be met:
 24 Sq ft. max
 Shortest dimension does not
exceed 3 ft.
 Walls and ceilings protected
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Closets Not Accesible from the
Dweling Unit
 Sprinklers not required in:
 Closets in garages
 Exterior closets
 Breezeway closets
 These conditions must be met:
 No fuel-fired equipment
 Electric-powered equipment is
permissible
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Unheated, Covered Projections
Sometimes called ‘enclosed entries’,
‘mud rooms’, ‘foyers’
 Not required if:
 Unheated
 Not the only means of egress
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Garages
 Sprinklers not required in:
 Garages
 Open, attached porches
 Carports
 Similar structures
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Attics and Other Spaces
 Sprinklers not required in:
 Attics (with or without storage)
 Penthouse equipment rooms
 Elevator machine rooms
 Concealed spaces not intended for
living
Source: NFPA 13D
Protection Areas
 Attics and Other Spaces
 If such spaces contain fuel-fired
equipment:
 When equipment is above all occupied
spaces, no sprinkler required
 If equipment is at or below occupied
space, provide at least one sprinkler
above equipment, or:
 At the wall separating the space
with the fuel-fired equipment from
the occupied space
Source: NFPA 13D
Sprinkler Position and Placement
 Obstructions to discharge
 Light Fixtures / non-continuous
obstructions – 36” from center of
fixture. Examples include:
 Light fixtures
 Ceiling fans
 Area of fan blades less than
50%
Sprinkler Position and Placement
 Obstructions to discharge
 Closets / Compartments under 400
cubic feet:
 Single sprinkler at highest point
without regard to obstructions
 Includes rooms with
mechanical equipment
 Examples:
 Spaces under stairs
 Closets large enough to
require a sprinkler
 Laundry / HVAC closets
Sprinkler Position and Placement
 Shadow Areas
 Shadow areas
permitted in the
protection area of a
sprinkler as long as
the cumulative dry
areas do not exceed
15 sq. ft.
Pendant Head – Plan View
Sprinkler Position and Placement
 Shadow Areas
 Shadow areas
permitted in the
protection area of a
sprinkler as long as
the cumulative dry
areas do not exceed
15 sq. ft.
Sidewall Head – Plan View
Testing and Acceptance
 Hydrostatic Tests
 Two-hour test at normal system
operating pressure:
 Leakage detected by:
 Drop in pressure gauge, or
 Visual inspection of piping
 System permitted to be tested
with plugs or caps installed
instead of sprinkler heads
 No additional test required
after
heads installed
Testing and Acceptance
 Operational Tests
 For typical, wet systems, no
operational test is addressed if there
is no waterflow switch installed
 If a pump is installed, an
operational flow test is required
 Concerned about the water
supply?
 Carry a gauge and valve
assembly that can provide a
pressure reading
Testing and Acceptance
 Pressure Gauges
 Only Required when:
 A pressure tank is installed
 Dry system installed
 Any pressure reducing device
is installed
Testing and Acceptance
 Bucket Tests
 What is it? Water is flowed into a
bucket to verify adequacy of system
(measure volume per minute)
 Not addressed in the standard
 Viable option if water supply
cannot be verified
 Manufacturer requirement
for Pex
System Documentation
 Design Documentation
 Documentation shall be
available upon request to
ensure adequate water
supply, listed devices,
and adequate sprinkler
coverage have been
addressed
System Documentation
 Design Documentation
 13D has never required
working plans
 To address AHJ
concerns over the lack
of a plan review, the
Annex provides a list:
System Documentation
 Design Documentation
A.4.5 A scaled drawing where required should show the following:
(1) Address (if known)
(2) Size and type of domestic line, including length to city connection
(3) Water meter size
(4) Current static water pressure
(5) Interior walls
(6) Model, manufacturer, temperature, orifice size, and spacing
requirements of sprinklers
(7) Type of pipe
(8) Hanger spacing requirement per the pipe manufacturer
(9) Riser detail
(10) Installing contractor information
(11) Preliminary hydraulic calculations
System Documentation
Guidance From the
13D Handbook:
“This information listed in the
annex is intended to suggest
sufficient flexibility in the approval
process so that changes on the
job site (consistent with the rules
of NFPA 13D) can be
incorporated into the system
without needing to resubmit the
plans for additional approvals”
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
Becoming Our Own Barrier
 A reminder that we all have a common goal:
 More compliant systems installed in more
homes!
 We can become our own barrier as code officials:
 Confusion caused by misapplication of the
standard
 Even with the best intentions!
 Let’s not forget we are part of a large team…
Conclusion
13D is designed to be an achievable balance between
protection and cost
Questions?