Arvid Audio
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2011
- Posts
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- 26
Sorry to interrupt the discussion on PCM and DSD, but back to the sprinkler system accident for a few moments...
Hey, Jason and Alex. Sorry to hear about the sprinkler accident. Having spent over 30 years as a sprinklerfitter (both union and non-union, and both commercial and residential) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware and Virginia (including Reston, VA, with some of the toughest fire protection standards in the country), and then several more years as a sprinklerfitter in Washington state, I see some problems here:
1) You had to -CALL- the Fire Department?!? As per NFPA-13*, -ALL- sprinkler systems are supplied with a sprinklerfitter-installed, electrician-wired flow switch, so that ANY loss of pressure in the pipes causes a water flow at the main valve (a fire setting off a head, a broken head like your incident, even someone opening a drain valve as a prank) and sends an alarm to either a monitoring company like ADT, or directly to the local Fire Department. Sprinkler systems are designed to arrest small fires, but in a racked space like yours, the upper bay will block the lower bays if a fire breaks out (your racks are narrow enough that they don't require heads in them). But if a fire were to break out overnight and no one's there to call the FD, what happens then?
2) Alex: Turning off the power in your -UNIT- is a good idea, water on the floor and all. Turning it off in the -entire building- is not; it kills the building's smoke alarms, sprinkler alarms and the "Please exit the building" emergency klaxon. If a fire were to break out while the power is off, -YOU- become legally liable for any damages to the unit that is/was on fire and to the building itself (and God forbid, any deaths that might occur as a result). That is a VERY VERY BAD idea. Let the FD decide how and when to handle that.
3) Installing a halon system as suggested by someone is not practical or legal; it's been banned in the U.S. (halon depletes the ozone) for 20-odd years, although some existing systems are grandfathered. It's also pretty deadly, as it displaces the oxygen in the air to kill the fire but save the electronics. If you're in the room when a halon system goes off, pray you're next to the exit. Besides, the expense of any added fire-suppression system would fall on Schiit, and maybe break your lease, as you would probably be considered manufacturing, not distributing.
4) In no jurisdiction where I've ever worked is a plumber authorized to install or even work on a sprinkler system (Firemen are allowed to replace sprinkler heads and shut down/refill a sprinkler system and not much else). That would be like calling an electrician to work on your preamp. Sprinkler fitters have to know NFPA-13, plumbers have to know "Hot on the left, Cold on the right, and s*** won't run uphill."
(Joke, plumbers out there)
You should check with your building's management to see who the alarm monitoring company is and find out what sprinkler company has the maintenence contract and post the numbers on a bulletin board somewhere. Then call them to verify both. Not saying that they're cheating, but I've seen companies save money but not actually having an alarm-monitoring company like they say they do, or a sprinkler company under contract to conduct yearly tests (required by law) and replace the sprinkler heads that may have been used (spares are kept in a red box mounted on the wall in the sprinkler valve room; only building management should have a key.)
Arvid
* - NFPA is National Fire Protection Association. Book #13 describes the standards for general (commercial and high-rise residential) installations; #13R describes the standards for low-rise residential (townhouses and condos). All licensed sprinkler contractors must join NFPA, and only licensed sprinkler contractors can purchese sprinkler heads.
Hey, Jason and Alex. Sorry to hear about the sprinkler accident. Having spent over 30 years as a sprinklerfitter (both union and non-union, and both commercial and residential) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware and Virginia (including Reston, VA, with some of the toughest fire protection standards in the country), and then several more years as a sprinklerfitter in Washington state, I see some problems here:
1) You had to -CALL- the Fire Department?!? As per NFPA-13*, -ALL- sprinkler systems are supplied with a sprinklerfitter-installed, electrician-wired flow switch, so that ANY loss of pressure in the pipes causes a water flow at the main valve (a fire setting off a head, a broken head like your incident, even someone opening a drain valve as a prank) and sends an alarm to either a monitoring company like ADT, or directly to the local Fire Department. Sprinkler systems are designed to arrest small fires, but in a racked space like yours, the upper bay will block the lower bays if a fire breaks out (your racks are narrow enough that they don't require heads in them). But if a fire were to break out overnight and no one's there to call the FD, what happens then?
2) Alex: Turning off the power in your -UNIT- is a good idea, water on the floor and all. Turning it off in the -entire building- is not; it kills the building's smoke alarms, sprinkler alarms and the "Please exit the building" emergency klaxon. If a fire were to break out while the power is off, -YOU- become legally liable for any damages to the unit that is/was on fire and to the building itself (and God forbid, any deaths that might occur as a result). That is a VERY VERY BAD idea. Let the FD decide how and when to handle that.
3) Installing a halon system as suggested by someone is not practical or legal; it's been banned in the U.S. (halon depletes the ozone) for 20-odd years, although some existing systems are grandfathered. It's also pretty deadly, as it displaces the oxygen in the air to kill the fire but save the electronics. If you're in the room when a halon system goes off, pray you're next to the exit. Besides, the expense of any added fire-suppression system would fall on Schiit, and maybe break your lease, as you would probably be considered manufacturing, not distributing.
4) In no jurisdiction where I've ever worked is a plumber authorized to install or even work on a sprinkler system (Firemen are allowed to replace sprinkler heads and shut down/refill a sprinkler system and not much else). That would be like calling an electrician to work on your preamp. Sprinkler fitters have to know NFPA-13, plumbers have to know "Hot on the left, Cold on the right, and s*** won't run uphill."
(Joke, plumbers out there)You should check with your building's management to see who the alarm monitoring company is and find out what sprinkler company has the maintenence contract and post the numbers on a bulletin board somewhere. Then call them to verify both. Not saying that they're cheating, but I've seen companies save money but not actually having an alarm-monitoring company like they say they do, or a sprinkler company under contract to conduct yearly tests (required by law) and replace the sprinkler heads that may have been used (spares are kept in a red box mounted on the wall in the sprinkler valve room; only building management should have a key.)
Arvid
* - NFPA is National Fire Protection Association. Book #13 describes the standards for general (commercial and high-rise residential) installations; #13R describes the standards for low-rise residential (townhouses and condos). All licensed sprinkler contractors must join NFPA, and only licensed sprinkler contractors can purchese sprinkler heads.
