Codes dealing with hanging from sprinkler pipes?
- Thread starterSayen
- Start date
Halon 1301 works by disrupting the chemical reaction of the fire itself and does so at pretty low concentrations, well below any deleterious effects on humans. The worst it does is make you dizzy/out of it. Unfortunately, it is a CFC and is bad for the ozone layer, hence the ban on making more of it. On the other hand, CO2 at concentrations enough to stop a fire will kill you.
What is Halon? How does Halon Work? Is Halon legal? Is Halon Safe?
What is Halon? How does Halon Work? Is Halon legal? Is Halon Safe?
Jay Ashworth
Well-Known Member
[Looks]
Yup. I was worng. Damn.
Wonder why all the fuss and alarum attached to a Halo discharge, then...
Sent from my SPH-L720
Yup. I was worng. Damn.
Wonder why all the fuss and alarum attached to a Halo discharge, then...
Sent from my SPH-L720
Jay Ashworth
Well-Known Member
For the record, though, I didn't allege that it removed oxygen from the air, but that it displaced enough air to reduce the oxygen concentration below the oxidizer range, a slightly different issue.
Sent from my SPH-L720
Sent from my SPH-L720
It would have to create a vacuum to do that or chemically alter the oxygen itself. I know there are CO2 extinguishing systems in areas that people don't usually enter and require no-damage methods of suppression, maybe the bells and whistles are a holdover from that? In any event, while it won't kill you, it's not necessarily a great thing to be breathing in along with whatever chemicals are becoming airborne during the combustion of metal, plastic and silicon. 
We used to run cable in plenum ceilings and the AHJ would require plenum-rated cable and zip ties which I found amusing since I imagine inhaling the fumes from a piece of Cat 5 would probably be the least of my worries when the buildings on fire.
We used to run cable in plenum ceilings and the AHJ would require plenum-rated cable and zip ties which I found amusing since I imagine inhaling the fumes from a piece of Cat 5 would probably be the least of my worries when the buildings on fire.
Jay Ashworth
Well-Known Member
No, just expand enough to push enough air out so the 21% O2 drops below... I think Ansul sez it's 18 or 19%...
Sent from my SPH-L720
Sent from my SPH-L720
What Rigger?
I'm so fly....I Neverland.
Codes are awesome, but there's also this: you go look in any and every hotel/motel room worth staying in and you will see signs posted telling you to not hang clothing (or anything) on the sprinkler heads in the room. Your average TapouT tuxedo, or stripper clothes...uh, I mean "nicest dress"...is all it takes to set off the system. A good friend actually caused this to happen once. Irony is: he became a firefighter.
And for the record, most of the "strippers" walking around the casino, screaming "VEEEEEGAAAS BAAAAAYYYYBEEEEE!" are 2nd grade teachers from Ohio.
And for the record, most of the "strippers" walking around the casino, screaming "VEEEEEGAAAS BAAAAAYYYYBEEEEE!" are 2nd grade teachers from Ohio.
Timothy A. Samuelson
Active Member
So, side topic: We are finishing out the build out on a 1921 space in Downtown Little Rock. Greatest thing to happen to the theatre community here in years. We've been plagued with permit issues, design issues, code issues, etc. We are equipped with an older sprinkler system as well as a new $8,000 particle detection system with strobes and horns. Don't get me wrong, as a TD, safety is my number one concern at all times, but I'm pretty sure we might have the safest building in LR. With that being said, here's my question:
My sprinkler is the older system that has wax in the heads. When the wax melts, it opens the pressurized water line, and thus, we are ready for Singin' in the Rain. My battens are hung from the ceiling approximately 6 inches below the level of the sprinkler lines. I'm a little scared that my lights (12 Pars and 4 Source 4s) might create enough heat to melt the wax. Is my fear tangible or should I stop worrying?
My sprinkler is the older system that has wax in the heads. When the wax melts, it opens the pressurized water line, and thus, we are ready for Singin' in the Rain. My battens are hung from the ceiling approximately 6 inches below the level of the sprinkler lines. I'm a little scared that my lights (12 Pars and 4 Source 4s) might create enough heat to melt the wax. Is my fear tangible or should I stop worrying?
JerseyMatt
Member
I highly doubt they are wax. Deluge heads use either a liquid filled glass capsule or a solder ribbon as activators. At a predetermined temperature (ie: 155, 170, 195, 205 degrees) the capsule bursts or the ribbon melts, allowing water pressure to open the 'pip' (the copper plug holding the water back). First thing you have to do is look at the 'rosette' - the flower shaped piece at the bottom - and see what the activation temperature is. The lower it is, the more concerned you need to be. In open, moving air it's unlikely to be an issue.. But if the air is stagnant, a 10,000 watt heat source could be a problem for a lower temperature head in the vicinity.
JChenault
Well-Known Member
And you can get the heads swapped out for ones with a highest temp by your sprinkler company. You can tp get them up,tp 625 degrees.
I'm assuming you have protective cages around the heads? ( to make sure you don't bash them with a piece of scenery? ). If not those can be retrofitted as well.
I'm assuming you have protective cages around the heads? ( to make sure you don't bash them with a piece of scenery? ). If not those can be retrofitted as well.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Just a trivial correction but "deluge" in sprinkler terms are open sprinkler on a dry pipe that flow when a valve is opened, and don't depend on heat activation, and of course all sprinklers in one deluge system all flow at once. Quite the opposite where normally only the sprinkler or sprinklers that are heated flow.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Wow. 95 years. I thought some of my projects took a long time but I think the longest was 13 years.
kiwitechgirl
Well-Known Member
I set off a sprinkler head this way - but it was a Selecon Pacific with the heat sink DIRECTLY under the sprinkler head (don't ask....it was a Superheroes and Supervillains themed birthday party in the bar of the theatre I worked in and we'd made a Bat-light gobo - failed to notice that the sprinkler head was right above the lighting bar when we hung the Pacific), and it had been on at 100% for almost three hours before there was enough heat to trigger the sprinkler. Also it was a 55 degree Celsius head. The water that came out was pretty disgusting.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
There was an incident at the golden globes award. http://tv.msn.com/golden-globes/red-carpet-sprinkler-incident/story/
de27192
Active Member
Introducing the fire marshal to the theatre might be an interesting experience to say the least. Companies installing sprinkler systems in theatres have a habit of doing it as inconveniently as possible for everyone else as long as it makes it more convenient for them to install. (Same attitude as the HVAC contractors).
de27192
Active Member
I think you still come second place to a British stagehand in a well known concert hall who hung his jacket on the drencher handle and then end of load in grabbed his jacket and yanked it off and did the obvious. Drencher had been there since dinosaurs roamed outside, he said because it looked old he assumed it didn't do anything anymore. He was wrong.
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