Take Advantage of the Fire Sprinkler Market

Residential fire sprinklers are not new on the market, but they are becoming more popular. Just ask Ron Murray, who serves as the vice chair of the Governor’s Fire Service Policy Board and chair of the American Society of Sanitary Engineering's committee, the Plumbing-based Fire Sprinkler Committee.

“The market is hot for sprinklers now,” he says. “Our contractors who are suffering through the poor economy are surviving because they are good sprinkler installers.”

More than 400 communities or regions in the United States have ordinances that require new construction to include residential fire sprinklers, according to Roy L. Marshall, director of the Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI). Many more municipalities are considering similar ordinances.

Sprinkler Basics
In most cases, wherever there is a municipal water supply, sprinklers will operate off the household water main. When the water supply is a well, or there is not enough water pressure, a holding tank is used. Typically, the type of pipe used for sprinklers is CPVC.

The national installation standard for home fire sprinkler systems is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D, Standard for Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes. The standard requires at least 10 minutes of sprinkler water on the fire in its initial stage of development.

Because sprinklers cover a minimum 12x12 foot area, many rooms may need only one sprinkler head. Additional sprinklers or special extended coverage sprinklers will protect larger areas. For example, in a typical unfinished basement, three pendent sprinklers would be used to protect the far sides of the area and near the center stairway, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.

The Plumber’s Role
Two common fire sprinkler systems are acceptable under NFPA 13D: stand-alone (or independent) systems and multipurpose/combined (or network). Although you eventually may install both, you most likely will be involved with the multipurpose system because it utilizes the home’s existing plumbing.

In a multipurpose system, there is no separate piping for the sprinkler system. Instead, the same pipe distributes the water for the sprinklers and plumbing. This eliminates one run of pipes, which reduces cost, according to the RFSI.

For stand-alone systems, there will be a “T” connection, the riser between the main and the water meter, feeding the sprinklers. The riser includes the pressure gauge, a flow switch, which often is wired to an inside bell or alarm, and a backflow valve (in regions where it is required), and the test and drain assembly. A flow alarm is not required under NFPA 13D, but might be required by your local codes.

Backflow prevention devices help separate the water used for sprinklers from the potable water, to prevent any cross-contamination of potable water. Many local jurisdictions require these.

That said, “The multipurpose system is a better system, less complicated and certainly more cost effective,” Murray says.

Getting Involved
Your ability to jump right into the fire sprinkler industry can depend on your location, as some states require extra licensing to install fire sprinklers.

In Oregon, the plumber owns the market, Murray says. “The Oregon Model,” as he calls it, is a partnership between the fire services and plumbers. They collaborate with a dedicated team at the Oregon Fire District Directors Association to market the systems.

“Plumbers need to get to know their fire officials,” Murray says. “Our first sprinkler classes were taught in fire stations. It got the plumbers out of their comfort zone and made them interact with firefighters. If a plumber isn’t doing sprinklers in today’s economy, they are losing business. Plumbers are the best and the brightest and this is just a natural extension.”

Like with any new service, it’s important to educate yourself about installing sprinkler systems before getting started. The American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) has developed the first ANSI-approved sprinkler professional qualification standard in the United States and many states have fire sprinkler licensing or certification programs.

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