How To Deal With Sprinkler Piping Installation

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Nicholas on December 25, 2010 at 6:24pm

I believe the Sprinkler Company has a problem not stated.  NFPA does not allow any thing to rest on a sprinkler pipe.  Blowing insulation around the pipe would not allow the required periodic visual inspections.  Resting batts on the pipes also prohibits visual inspection and additionally cause the potential for the pipes to deflect. Deflection changes the water flow - think flex duct bends etc.

With a wet sprinkler system install in the attic, you are pretty much stuck with installing the insulation on the roof deck.  The sprinkler has to be able to spray water on the roof deck as well as below. Prior to my certification as a HERS Rater, I was  administrator of a medical facility that was sprinkled.  The batt insulation was installed on the roof deck. It sags, looses contact with the deck, drops out, lands on sprinkler pipe and other places you don't want it.

How high is the attic space?  I am slightly surprised there are not sprinkler heads along the roof deck also.

Since there is little choice except to include the entire attic within the thermal envelope - I believe the long term solution is to foam the roof deck

Your install is subject to local fire inspection.  I would keep all of the above in mind, and visit with them.  Start at the Fire Dept.  They like tight houses.  Explain how you do tight shell, and see what they say.  Then approach the actual building inspector.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Hannah McKenzie on May 4, 2012 at 1:50pm

We run into this problem a lot in North Carolina. An alternative to foaming the roof deck & gable ends is creating a horizontal boxed chase for the sprinkler lines. Typically, our builders keep the top of boxed chase lower than the ceiling insulation so there isn't a need for a 6-sided wall assembly. The box (built with drywall, plywood, Thermax or equivalent) is air sealed with an appropriate material (mastic, caulk, foam). I also recently found this Literature Review from the NFPA to acknowledge that there is a conflict in sprinkler freeze protection and ENERGY STAR. The article also offers a variety of solutions. http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//pdf/research/rfsprinklerinsulatio...

Permalink Reply by Ed Minch on June 6, 2013 at 3:18pm

The real solution is to say to the sprinkler guy - "I will not force the insulator to take responsibility for your pipes freezing - install them in the walls so all pipes are inside the heated shell"

Ed Minch

Permalink Reply by Stan Kuhn on June 6, 2013 at 3:53pm

Tried it; I might as well have asked for sacrifice of his first born.  The builder has the final say, and they were OK with it.  I disclaimed any responsibliity for when the pipes freeze, and they signed the ceiling insulation item of the checklist.  I don't care for the provision for them to be able to sign off on several items, but I am thankful for it in the case of sprinklers.

Permalink Reply by Ed Minch on June 7, 2013 at 8:33am

We air seled some condos a few years back and their sprinklers were in a cathedral ceiling with scissors trusses.  One of techs was smart enough to take a picture and tell the job super there there was on pipe that was especially vulnerable - he didn't like the answer he got so he emailed the picture and a note.  Wouldn't you know, it broke and soaked all three units in the stack.  We were named in a lawsuit, but were immediately let out when the judge saw the e-mail.

Now we take lost of picture

We have 50/50 success in getting pipes out of the attic