Re: Automatic fire sprinklers

[Frank Kurz <tech@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 13/01/2011 4:56 AM, jamesgangnc wrote:
> On Jan 13, 7:46 am, nick markowitz<nmarkow...@xxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>> On Jan 12, 11:22 pm, Smitty Two<prestwh...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>>
>>> In article
>>> <e44ecd7c-97da-4094-9b03-a80076a6c...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>>
>>>   Evan<evan.news.re...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>>>> All I claimed was that such things would not be
>>>> required if
>>>> there was not a trend of accidents...
>>
>>> Bzzt. Incorrect. GFCIs became law for one reason: Someone who stood to
>>> make tens of millions of dollars selling them lobbied for the law. There
>>> is no trend of accidents.
>>
>> I have seen GFCI prevent many accidents over the years but I have also
>> seen them bypassed as well.
>> where back to the people who get zapped are the ones using frayed
>> extension cords or cords with grounds cut off and plugged in back
>> wards etc etc.
>> Every time you read an electrocution report in any of the trade
>> magazines the individual has done something to cause the accident.
>> latest article was on a farm where pressure washer was totally
>> corroded safety shields off and  no ground and gfci bypassed wonder
>> why some one died.
>
> So exactly what is the "maintenance" on a basic sprinkler system?  I'm
> asking because I'm installing sprinklers in the garage I'm building.
> I ran water pipes off the main cold coming in and I bought some of
> those sprinklers with the little expansion glass pieces in the
> centers.  You certainly can't test tripping one of them because then
> you have to replace it.

In our neck of the woods you'd require a back-flow preventer on your
sprinkler system to avoid contamination of the domestic supply.  That
has to be inspected annually.  Check with your local AHJ regarding any
further requirements.  You may be required to interconnect your smoke
alarms to a flow switch.  If it's a heated garage and depending on your
location, you may require a low temperature alarm.  In fact it might not
be a bad idea to have one anyway and interconnect it to your monitored
security system.

--
Frank Kurz
www.firetechs.net