NFPA131999

FAQs

ResponsestoFAQsarepreparedbyNFPAtechnicalstafftoassistusersinreadingandunderstandingNFPAcodesand
standards.Theresponses,however,arenotFormalInterpretationsissuedpursuanttoNFPARegulations.Anyopinions
expressedarethepersonalopinionsoftheauthor(s),anddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheofficialpositionoftheNFPAor
itsTechnicalCommittees.Inaddition,theresponsesareneitherintended,norshouldbereliedupon,toprovide
professionalconsultationorservices.

1. DoIneedsprinklersinmybuilding?

NFPA13istheNFPAdocumentthatspecifiestheminimumrequirementsfordesigningand
installingsprinklersystems.Itdoesnotspecifywhichbuildingsrequireasprinklersystem.
TherequirementtoinstallasprinklersystemcomplyingwithNFPA13canusuallybefoundin
oneofthefollowingsources:buildingcode;federal,stateorlocalregulations;insurer's
requirements;accreditationrequirements;orowner'srequest.

2. IfIhaveadrypipesprinklersystemunderapitchedroofexceedingaslopeof16.7%,doI
applybothareaincreasesfromSection72.3.2.5andSection72.3.2.6?

Yes,bothsectionswouldbeappliedcumulativelytothedesignareachosenfromFigure7
2.3.1.2inaccordancewithSection72.3.2.8.Thisisshowninthefollowingexample:The
applicationareadeterminedfromFigure72.3.1.2is1500squarefeet.Asrequiredby
Section72.3.2.5,1500squarefeetisincreasedby30%to1950squarefeetforthesteeply
pitchedroof.AsrequiredbySection72.3.2.6,the1950squarefeetisincreasedby30%for
thedrypipesystem.Therefore,theoriginaldensitychosenfromFigure72.3.1.2mustbe
appliedover2535squarefeet.Ensurethattherearenootherdesignareamodifications
requiredforthesystembeinginstalled.

3. CanplasticpipebeusedonasprinklersystemcomplyingwithNFPA13?

Section33.5allowstheuseofplasticpipethathasbeenspecificallylistedforfireprotection
use.Thispipemustbeinstalledinaccordancewithitslistinglimitations,includinginstallation
instructions.

4. Whatisthelimitforthecalculatedwatervelocityinasprinklersystemcomplyingwith
NFPA13?

NFPA13doesnotspecifyamaximumlimitforthecalculatedwatervelocity.

5. Dowalkintypefreezers,coolers,vaultsandsafesrequiresprinklers?

Yes.AsexplainedbyFormalInterpretation786,theseareasrequiresprinklersbecausethey
arepartofthepremises.NFPA13requiresthatsprinklersbeinstalledthroughoutthe
premisesinaccordancewithSection51.1.Therearenoexceptionsprovidedwhichallowfor
NFPA 13-1999 FAQs

sprinkleromissionintheseareas.

6. InapplyingtheThreeTimesRule'forsprinklerobstructions(i.e.Section56.5.2.2),what
dimensionisthe24inchmaximumreferringto?

Thismaximumdimensionisthedimensionmeasuredfromthesprinklertothenearestedge
oftheobstruction.Isolatedobstructionsthataremorethan24inchesawayfromstandard
uprightandpendentsprinklersdonotgenerallycreateasignificantobstruction.

7. Aresprinklersrequiredinclosets?

Yes.TherearelimitedexceptionsspecifiedinSection513.9.2forcertainsmallclosetsinthe
dwellingunitsofhotelsandmotels.

8. Canasupplycontrolvalvebeinstalleddownstreamofthefiredepartmentconnection?

TheconfusionthatbringsaboutthisquestionisusuallycausedbySection515.2.4.2,the
ExceptiontoSection514.1.1.2,andExceptionNo.1toSection514.1.1.8.Thesesections
arenecessarytodifferentiatethefiredepartmentconnectionfromothertypesofwater
supplies.Normally,acontrolvalveisrequiredbeforeandaftereachcheckvalveinasource
ofsupply.Thevalvesarerequiredsothatthecheckvalvecanbeisolatedandserviced.As
well,acontrolvalveisnormallyrequiredineachautomaticsourceofsupplyinaccordance
withSection514.1.1.2.However,thesecontrolvalvesarenotnecessary,norallowed,inthe
firedepartmentconnectionpiping.Whilethecontrolvalvesarenotallowedinthefire
departmentconnectionpipingitself,controlvalvescanbeinstalleddownstreamfromthe
firedepartmentconnectionpipinginaccordancewith514.1.1.Itwouldbeimpracticalto
requireafiredepartmentconnectionafterallcontrolvalvesinamultizoneormultisystem
arrangement.Furthermore,Section514.1.1.3ofNFPA13requiresthatallvalvescontrolling
watersuppliesbesupervisedintheopenposition.Inallcases,thearrangementforthefire
departmentconnectionmustcomplywithSection515.2.3.

9. Ifawatercurtainisinstalled,whatistheequivalentfireseparationrating?

NFPA13doesnotspecifyanequivalentfireseparationratingforwatercurtainsinstalledin
accordancewithSection513.4anddesignedinaccordancewithSection79.7.

10. Whatistheallowablereductioninfireseparationratingsinabuildingwhereasprinkler
systemisinstalled?

NFPA13doesnotaddresssuchreductions.Somebuilding/firecodeswillspecifyanallowable
reductioninfireseparationratingsforcertainbuildingswheresprinklersareprovidedin
accordancewithNFPA13.Youwouldneedtoconsultwiththeapplicablebuilding/firecode
foryourparticularprojecttodetermineifthereareanyallowablereductions.

NFPA 13-1999 FAQs

11. Aresprinklersrequiredintheupperportionofanarchitecturalceilingfeature,evenwhen
therearenoopeningstoaboveandthesprinklersatthelowerportiondonotexceedarea
ofcoveragelimitations?

Thisquestionusuallyariseswitharchitecturalfeaturessuchasskylightsandroomswith
multilevelceilings.Thegeneralconcernwiththesetypesoffeaturesisthepotentialforheat
topocket'andthenegativeimpacttotheoperationofthesprinklers.Thiscouldbetrue
evenifsprinklersarespacedwithintheirlimitationsforallowableareaofprotection.NFPA
13doesnotspecificallyaddressthesprinklerrequirementsforthesearchitectural
features.However,theapplicablesectionsofChapter5doaddressthedistancebelowthe
ceilingthatsprinklersmustbepositioned.Theneedforsprinklersintheupperportioncanbe
determinedbasedonthedistancefromtheupperleveltothepositionatwhichthe
sprinklerswouldbeinstalledonthelowerlevel.Ifthisdistanceexceedstheallowable
distancesspecifiedinChapter5,thensprinklerswouldberequiredattheupper
level.ObstructionsspecifiedbyChapter5toanyofthesprinklerswouldalsoneedtobe
examinedandaccountedfor.

12. Aresprinklersrequiredwithinfurniture?

No.Sprinklersarerequiredwithinallpermanentspacesofthestructure,suchasclosets,in
accordancewithSection51.1.Moveablefurnitureitems,suchasdesks,dressersand
wardrobes,donotrequiresprinklerswithinthemevenwhentheyareaffixedtothe
permanentstructureofthebuilding.

13. MustIdesignthesprinklersystemtoprotectthesamehazardthroughoutthestructure?

No.NFPA13doesnotrequirethattheentirestructurebeprotectedasasinglehazard
classification.Therearethreeimportantthingstokeepinmind,however,whendesigninga
systemwithmultiplehazardclassifications.Thefirstisthatyouwilllockthebuildinguseinto
thehazardconfigurationthatthesprinklersystemisdesignedfor.Iftheentirespacewas
protectedforthehighesthazard,however,thebuildinguserwouldnothavetoworryabout
thegenerallocationsofthedifferenthazards.Additionally,thehydrauliccalculation
procedureandsystemlayoutbecomemorecomplexwithmultiplehazardclassificationsthan
wherethehighesthazardisusedthroughout.Lastly,Section71.2specifiesrequirementsfor
buildingswithtwoormoreadjacenthazardoccupancies.

14. IftherearenohoseconnectionsinsideabuildingsprinkleredtocomplywithNFPA13,will
thewaterdemandneedtoincludeahosestreamallowance?

Yes.AnoutsidehosestreamdemandwouldberequiredinaccordancewithSection72.3.1.1.

15. DoesNFPA13addressfiresprinklersystemsprotectingstorageabove12feet?

Yes.The1999editionofNFPA13incorporatedthefiresprinklersystemdesignand
installationrequirementsfromNFPA231(StandardforGeneralStorage),NFPA231C
(StandardforRackStorageofMaterials),NFPA231D(StandardforStorageofRubberTires),
NFPA 13-1999 FAQs

NFPA231E(RecommendedPracticefortheStorageofBaledCotton)andNFPA231F
(StandardfortheStorageofRollPaper).TheotherrequirementsofNFPA231,NFPA231C,
NFPA231D,NFPA231EandNFPA231FwereincorporatedintoanewstandardNFPA230
(StandardfortheFireProtectionofStorage).

16. HowaretheNFPA13designandinstallationrequirementsarrangedforsystemsprotecting
storageandspecialdesignapproaches?

Atableofcontentsisasfollows:
73Palletized,SolidPiled,BinBox&ShelfStorage
73.1General

73.2ClassIIV
73.3Plastics
74RackStorage
74.1General
74.2ClassIIV(upto25storage)
74.3ClassIIV(over25storage)
74.4Plastics
75IdlePalletStorage
76RubberTireStorage
77BaledCottonStorage
78RollPaperStorage
79SpecialDesignApproaches
79.1General
79.2ResidentialSprinklers
79.3QuickResponseEarlySuppressionSprinklersQRES(reserved)
79.4LargeDropSprinklers(ClassIIV&Plastics)

NFPA 13-1999 FAQs

79.5EarlySuppressionFastResponseSprinklersESFR(ClassIIV&Plastics)
79.6ExposureProtection
79.7WaterCurtains
79.8ProtectionofSteelColumns
17. IsthereaceilingheightatwhichNFPA13permitstheomissionofsprinklers?

No.

NFPA 13-1999 FAQs