Fire Protection - Sprinkler System for shop

[Tom Adger]

I have a workshop, detached from the house. I have had ADT security for the house for a number of years, and it has fire protection as well as burglery. I have similar concerns for my workshop about both. This thread will probably prompt me to extend the ADT to the workshop.

I get chills about a sprinkler system going off in the shop. It would ruin a lot of stuff, and I think the security system would be be better way to go.

[Kerry Medeiros]

I appreciate all the comments.

Let me put my situation into perspective in light of some of the comments.

My shop is 32x36 with a second floor over a portion of it. It is a wood structure. Installing a dry system or a preaction system is a little overkill for my needs. I woodwork as a hobby and to make a few bucks on the side - it is not my career (although somedays I wish it was). My intent behind the sprinkler system is simply to delay fire extension until such time that the FD arrives. I live about 7 km's from the fire hall and response to my home would be about 8 minutes. Damage to equipment by water is not something I'm worried about in an actual fire situation. They're insured. It's the structure I'd like to protect.

I have seen first hand the value of sprinklers in residential situations. I am deputy chief of our local FD and one of my first working fires as a FF was a two storey house with a woodstove in the basement. Fire started in the area of the woodstove. The owner had 1 or 2 sprinklers installed in the area of the woodstove. They were something the homeowner installed by plumbing in a 1/2" copper line and adding the heads. This home is near the border of our response area and is about a 12-15 minute drive from the fire hall. Tack on a couple of minutes for members to first arrive at the hall and it was close to 20 minutes before we made entry. We all expected that house to be out of control by the time we arrived. We were able to make entry and extinguish the fire. There was damage to the floor structure (gotta love solid lumber joists) and minimal fire extension. The owner was able to restore the home to pre fire condition, IMHO because of the sprinkler by the woodstove. It was able to reduce the fire spread and do so for 20 minutes until we got there.

Matt hit the nail on the head. A check valve off the main and antifreeze on the system side of the checkvalve. If I may pick your brain a little Matt, should I over pressurize the system side to maybe 5 or 10lbs more pressure than the supply side?

[Don Bullock]

Kerry,
A sprinkler system was required for my new shop by the local fire department's interoperation local building code. It had to be designed and installed by a plumbing contractor with a special license to install fire sprinkler systems. The local fire department chief inspected and OK'd the plans before the building permit could be issued and he also inspected the sprinkler system before the building could pass the final building inspection. Our local fire department has the power to prevent any construction that doesn't meet their stringent requirements. I had the choice of using copper pipe or PVC pipe covered by drywall. I chose to insulate the building and have the drywall installed. I wish I could tell you more about the system.