Sprinkler piping

Status
Not open for further replies.

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Sprinkler piping

As sprinkler piping commonly runs outside underground and is very likely to be directly bonded to the utility supply system in other areas I would say that table 250.66 would need to be used so I would call it water piping.
 

dillon3c

Senior Member
Re: Sprinkler piping

Ryan,
you raise a good point that stuck out in my mind in a installation, I seen two weeks ago on a two(2) story building,in another neighboring county..

The GC was trying to eject a Large Electical Contractor from this job,for numerous code violation and slowing progress of job.(in really bad blood)

They called us in on T&M to start taking care of some of the work related contract,running concurrent while this contractor was still on site.

While looking over his 800 ampere service (in useing parallel 600kcmil)in his installation,(and not yet approved for temp.power)and noticing he had dropped the ball in 312 table.I began looking @ his electrode conductors and the bonding of the system to the electrodes.(3/0 in size)

*He had his cold water bonded,and structural steel,but then noticed the sprinkler system located 25 ft.horizontally, high-up in the ceiling away from the service.

The Inspector had required on one of the trips out, to bond sprinkler line back to service. Noted: The Inspector was all over this electrician's installation. and had the man's nerves tore-all-up.

*Anyway..It had a full-size GEC(*250.66) attached to this sprinkler line,and bonded back to grounded terminal and I do believe the inspector, had required it.

*my first thought,was 250.104(b) via table 250.122 in size.

I didn't give another thought about it,till just now in reading your post Ryan.

I hadn't seen this required before..

[ September 07, 2005, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: dillon3c ]
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Re: Sprinkler piping

Ryan, aren't most Fire Sprinkler systems common to the domestic water system at some point with a back flow preventer and possibly a PIV and bypass piping? I can't recall ever seeing a dielectric separation between the two systems.

If that is the case, wouldn't this additional material and labor be unnecessary?

Roger
 

ryan_618

Senior Member
Re: Sprinkler piping

Guys, I aprreciate the opinions very much.

Roger, In all honesty, I don't know enough about it to answer your question.

What I have decided to do is submit a proposal to 250.104(B) to add "including fire sprinkler piping" right after where it says "including gas piping". I will let panel 5 answer it in the form of the ROP.

By the way, I spoke to two different members of panel 5 that I am freinds with...their two answers were exactly opposite each other! :)
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
Re: Sprinkler piping

Wouldn't the sprinkler pipe be bonded via the ground wire that is connected to the flow and tamper switches?

[I suspect that Bob/Iwire is the only one who will get this joke! :D ]
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Re: Sprinkler piping

Originally posted by peter d:
[I suspect that Bob/Iwire is the only one who will get this joke! :D ]
Perhaps you're referring to the EGC of the circuit likely to energize the equipment.
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Re: Sprinkler piping

Wouldn't the sprinkler pipe be bonded via the ground wire that is connected to the flow and tamper switches?
That's not funny. :)

I flex in the LV fire-alarms. I install a ground screw with pigtail in the 4 11/16's box that houses the surge protector (for the outside fire alarm conductors that enter the building).

The path is through the flex, perhaps a 4 square or two, and ultimately to the flow, which is a metallic box installed on a metal pipe.

So there! :D
 

stud696981

Senior Member
Re: Sprinkler piping

Most of the systems I have seen have one water line entering the building and then split off, one goes to the fire sprinkler and the other to the domestic water line. With this, all are bonded together by the connecting parts, no need for a bonding jumper.

I did see one a few years back that the sprinkler had a separate water line brought in. In that case a separate bonding jumper was pulled and connected to it.
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Re: Sprinkler piping

Originally posted by stud696981:
I did see one a few years back that the sprinkler had a separate water line brought in.
That's the way they are here, at least some of the ones I've seen. I believe they were connected somehow, now I'll have to double-check. :)
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Sprinkler piping

In this area the sprinkler main and water main enter the building separately.

They may well join together outside but as they are buried and we can not see that IMO we have to treat them separately.
 

benaround

Senior Member
Location
Arizona
Re: Sprinkler piping

This brings up the question,if considered water piping,if the domestic water pipe is PVC or not metal for 10' underground the fire sprinkler is now the prefered electrode? This is if the fire sprinkler is in fact 10' or more underground.

Connection is made 5' upon entering the building?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top