The University of New Mexico has installed CPVC in our new dormitory. We
find it very easy to install, and cost effective. We did prohibit the
piping in areas subject to normally high temperatures (such as mechanical
rooms) and in areas where the pipe may be exposed to the fire such as
elevator shafts, in rooms with no ceiling such as custodial rooms and
storage rooms with exposed pipe. I would caution other universities to
watch out for one thing with their contractors. CPVC piping does need
additional bracing/hangers. I had to stay on top of our contractor who was
not providing adequate support for the pipe near the head. The normal 3
foot rule does not always work with CPVC. I was able to grab several
sprinkler heads and move them as much as 4 inches. Ensure that
hangers/bracing are included within 12 inches of the head to eliminate sway.
--On Friday, September 21, 2001 12:36 AM -0400 Automatic digest processor
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> There are 4 messages totalling 301 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
> 1. FW: CPVC piping (2)
> 2. CPVC piping (2)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 13:42:22 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: FW: CPVC piping
>
> These questions were posted to me by my immediate supervisor. Does
> anyone know any of the answers to these questions. Can you let me know
> if you do. Thanks!
> -
>
>
>
> I would like to know if institutions are using CPVC sprinkler pipe in
> dormitory rooms. Do you use them with any limitations? Does anyone know
> of
> incidents where the piping has melted before a sprinkler head activates
> (such as above a suspended ceiling with ceiling tile missing)? The UL
> listing on the pipe limits it use to areas
> where the temperature is below 150 deg. F. and Factory Mutual requires
> that
> ceiling tile below CPVC pipe be clipped down. Has anyone compared the
> longevity of these sprinkler systems to the more common black pipe
> sprinkler system? While
> CPVC wont corrode, some plastics become brittle with age.
>
>
> _____________________________________________
>
> Craig S. Moody, M.S., C.I.H.
> Acting Director
> Department of Environmental Health and Safety
> University of Minnesota
> 410 Church Street S.E.
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Phone: (612)-626-4399
>
> Fax: (612)-624-1949
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 13:49:24 -0400
> From: John Basher <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: CPVC piping
>
> At Colgate University, no plastic pipe of any kind is used on any
> sprinkler system. Also local Municipal Utilities rules that no plastic
> pipe can be used on any pressurized pipe within their jurisdiction.
>
> John Basher
> Assistant Director of Fire Safety
> Colgate University
> 13 Oak Drive
> Hamilton, NY 13346
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 1:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: FW: CPVC piping
>
>
> These questions were posted to me by my immediate supervisor. Does
> anyone know any of the answers to these questions. Can you let me know
> if you do. Thanks!
> -
>
>
>
> I would like to know if institutions are using CPVC sprinkler pipe in
> dormitory rooms. Do you use them with any limitations? Does anyone know
> of
> incidents where the piping has melted before a sprinkler head activates
> (such as above a suspended ceiling with ceiling tile missing)? The UL
> listing on the pipe limits it use to areas
> where the temperature is below 150 deg. F. and Factory Mutual requires
> that
> ceiling tile below CPVC pipe be clipped down. Has anyone compared the
> longevity of these sprinkler systems to the more common black pipe
> sprinkler system? While
> CPVC wont corrode, some plastics become brittle with age.
>
>
> _____________________________________________
>
> Craig S. Moody, M.S., C.I.H.
> Acting Director
> Department of Environmental Health and Safety
> University of Minnesota
> 410 Church Street S.E.
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Phone: (612)-626-4399
>
> Fax: (612)-624-1949
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 16:15:57 -0400
> From: Jim Robinson <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: FW: CPVC piping
>
> The University of Maryland - College Park has about 15 residential
> buildings that have CPVC sprinkler piping in resident rooms - one hotel, 4
> or 5 resident halls, and about 10 fraternity/sorority houses. There are no
> limitations (other than 'light hazard' occupancies) since these
> installations meet the requirements of NFPA 13.
> When first introduced in the early 1980's, the standard required that
> CPVC be protected by a non-combustible material such as sheetrock.
> Subsequent testing determined that this was not necessary so it was
> dropped from the standard. In these tests (I think they were conducted by
> NIST, UL & others), the water in the pipe acted as a heat sink, absorbing
> the heat (Boy Scouts know that you can boil water in a paper bag - same
> concept). Although most of our CPVC is behind sheetrock, it is for
> architectural reasons. Though pipe melting before sprinkler activation
> was thought to be a problem when first introduced, I believe testing
> proved it to be false. I don't recall any incidents where this actually
> occurred.
> In one resident hall, all of the CPVC is mounted with a hanging system
> called Deco-Shield - the pipe is concealed behind a plastic cover
> specifically designed for CPVC sprinkler piping - throughout the
> corridors & bedrooms. This system was retrofitted into this existing
> building in 1988 and has not experienced any problems. The retrofit was
> easier to do this way.
> We are experiencing problems with MIC sporadically in our black steel
> systems. Where discovered, CPVC is being used to replace the steel.
> I have had no negative experiences with CPVC in our 13 years using it.
>
> Jim Robinson
> Facilities Management
> Life Safety Systems
> 301-405-3971
>
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>> These questions were posted to me by my immediate supervisor. Does
>> anyone know any of the answers to these questions. Can you let me know
>> if you do. Thanks!
>> -
>>
>> I would like to know if institutions are using CPVC sprinkler pipe in
>> dormitory rooms. Do you use them with any limitations? Does anyone know
>> of
>> incidents where the piping has melted before a sprinkler head activates
>> (such as above a suspended ceiling with ceiling tile missing)? The UL
>> listing on the pipe limits it use to areas
>> where the temperature is below 150 deg. F. and Factory Mutual requires
>> that
>> ceiling tile below CPVC pipe be clipped down. Has anyone compared the
>> longevity of these sprinkler systems to the more common black pipe
>> sprinkler system? While
>> CPVC wont corrode, some plastics become brittle with age.
>>
>> _____________________________________________
>>
>> Craig S. Moody, M.S., C.I.H.
>> Acting Director
>> Department of Environmental Health and Safety
>> University of Minnesota
>> 410 Church Street S.E.
>> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>>
>> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Phone: (612)-626-4399
>>
>> Fax: (612)-624-1949
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 19:56:47 -0700
> From: STEPHEN ROTH <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: CPVC piping
>
> ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C1420E.619C67A0
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> At U of Pa, there was a proposal to utilize CPVC piping in some "low-rise=
> " dormitories, provided that the piping was "boxed" in with dry wall. Th=
> is plan was scraped in favor of conventional piping, because (among other=
> reasons), the cost was less using conventional pipe. =20
> =20
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: John Basher
> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 11:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: CPVC piping
> =20
> At Colgate University, no plastic pipe of any kind is used on any sprinkl=
> er
> system. Also local Municipal Utilities rules that no plastic pipe can be
> used on any pressurized pipe within their jurisdiction.
>
> John Basher
> Assistant Director of Fire Safety
> Colgate University
> 13 Oak Drive
> Hamilton, NY 13346
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 1:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: FW: CPVC piping
>
>
> These questions were posted to me by my immediate supervisor. Does
> anyone know any of the answers to these questions. Can you let me know
> if you do. Thanks!
> -
>
>
>
> I would like to know if institutions are using CPVC sprinkler pipe in
> dormitory rooms. Do you use them with any limitations? Does anyone know
> of
> incidents where the piping has melted before a sprinkler head activates
> (such as above a suspended ceiling with ceiling tile missing)? The UL
> listing on the pipe limits it use to areas
> where the temperature is below 150 deg. F. and Factory Mutual requires
> that
> ceiling tile below CPVC pipe be clipped down. Has anyone compared the
> longevity of these sprinkler systems to the more common black pipe
> sprinkler system? While
> CPVC wont corrode, some plastics become brittle with age.
>
>
> _____________________________________________
>
> Craig S. Moody, M.S., C.I.H.
> Acting Director
> Department of Environmental Health and Safety
> University of Minnesota
> 410 Church Street S.E.
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Phone: (612)-626-4399
>
> Fax: (612)-624-1949
>
> ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C1420E.619C67A0
> Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>At U of Pa, th=
> ere was a proposal to utilize CPVC piping in some "low-rise" dormitories,=
> provided that the piping was "boxed" in with dry wall. This plan w=
> as scraped in favor of conventional piping, because (among other reasons)=
> , the cost was less using conventional pipe. </DIV> <DIV> =
> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN=
> -LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV styl=
> e=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message -----</DIV> <DIV style=3D"B=
> ACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt Arial; COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> John Bas=
> her</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, Septembe=
> r 20, 2001 11:30 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>To:</B> OHIO=
> [log in to unmask]</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject=
> :</B> Re: CPVC piping</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>At Colgate University, no pl=
> astic pipe of any kind is used on any sprinkler<BR>system. Also loc=
> al Municipal Utilities rules that no plastic pipe can be<BR>used on any p=
> ressurized pipe within their jurisdiction.<BR><BR>John Basher<BR>Assistan=
> t Director of Fire Safety<BR>Colgate University<BR>13 Oak Drive<BR>Hamilt=
> on, NY 13346<BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: [log in to unmask]
> DO.EDU [mailto:[log in to unmask]]<BR>Sent: Thursday, September 20, =
> 2001 1:42 PM<BR>To: [log in to unmask]<BR>Subject: FW: CPVC pip=
> ing<BR><BR><BR>These questions were posted to me by my immediate supervis=
> or. Does<BR>anyone know any of the answers to these questions. =
> ; Can you let me know<BR>if you do. Thanks!<BR>-<BR><BR><BR><BR>I w=
> ould like to know if institutions are using CPVC sprinkler pipe in<BR>dor=
> mitory rooms. Do you use them with any limitations? Does anyone kno=
> w<BR>of<BR>incidents where the piping has melted before a sprinkler head =
> activates<BR>(such as above a suspended ceiling with ceiling tile missing=
> )? The UL<BR>listing on the pipe limits it use to areas<BR>where th=
> e temperature is below 150 deg. F. and Factory Mutual requires<BR>that<BR=
>> ceiling tile below CPVC pipe be clipped down. Has anyone compared the<BR=
>> longevity of these sprinkler systems to the more common black pipe<BR>sp=
> rinkler system? While<BR>CPVC wont corrode, some plastics become br=
> ittle with age.<BR><BR><BR>_____________________________________________<=
> BR><BR>Craig S. Moody, M.S., C.I.H.<BR>Acting Director<BR>Department of E=
> nvironmental Health and Safety<BR>University of Minnesota<BR>410 Church S=
> treet S.E.<BR>Minneapolis, MN 55455<BR><BR>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> edu<BR><BR>Phone: (612)-626-4399<BR><BR>Fax: (612=
> )-624-1949<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
>
> ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C1420E.619C67A0--
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of OHIOFIRE Digest - 14 Sep 2001 to 20 Sep 2001 (#2001-145)
> ***************************************************************
|
