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Design Consideration Base on NFPA-13D
NFPA 13D is a Life Safety System
The intent of NFPA 13D, the national installation standard for one- and two-family dwellings and
manufactured homes, is to provide an affordable sprinkler system in homes while maintaining a
high level of life safety.
The standard requires up to a maximum of 40 gpm, the water supply to accommodate one or two
operating sprinklers for at least 10 minutes.
Home fire sprinkler systems use CPVC (chloro-polyvinyl chloride) or PEX plastic piping. Special
glue secures the CPVC pipe connections, reducing the problems of sweating copper joints or
threading steel pipe.
Fire Sprinklers in Living Areas Only
NFPA 13D only requires sprinklers to be installed in living areas. The standard does not require
sprinklers in smaller bathrooms or closets, pantries, garages or carports, attached open structures,
attics, and other concealed non-living spaces. Some local building authorities may have
requirements that exceed NFPA 13D.
Flexible Construction Choices
There are two common types of fire sprinkler layouts That are acceptable under NFPA 13D:
Stand-alone (or independent) uses dedicated pipes that only supply the fire sprinklers.
Multi-purpose combined (or network) use the pipes that supply the home’s plumbing fixtures to
also supply the fire sprinklers.
From the 2022 edition of NFPA 13D
6.1.1 Every automatic sprinkler system shall have at least one automatic water supply.
6.1.2 Where stored water is used as the sole source of supply, the minimum quantity shall equal
the water demand rate times 10 minutes unless permitted otherwise by 6.1.3.
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6.1.3 Where stored water is used as the sole source of supply, the minimum quantity shall be
permitted to equal the highest calculated water demand rate times 7 minutes where dwelling units
meet the following criteria:
(1) One story in height
(2) Less than 2000 ft2 (185 m2) in area
From the 2022 edition of NFPA 13D
6.2* Water Supply Sources.
The following water supply sources shall be considered to be acceptable by this standard:
(1) A connection to a reliable waterworks system with or without an automatically operated
pump
(2) An elevated tank
(3) A pressure tank designed to American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standards
for a pressure vessel with a reliable pressure source
(4) A stored water source with an automatically operated pump
(5) A well with a pump of sufficient capacity and pressure to meet the sprinkler system
demand
One of the first things an installation contractor will do when evaluating an existing residence or
new home site is check the pressure of the city water supply (if there is one), as this is the default
option to supply a fire sprinkler system. If the water main doesn’t deliver sufficient pressure (about
100 psi is a very safe number), the contractor will have to look at alternate options, whether that
involves adding a pump to boost the pressure of the city water or using an elevated tank, a pressure
tank, or a standard tank with a pump.
The majority of tank-fed systems and systems relying on insufficiently pressurized municipal
water supply will utilize an electric pump to move the water. While the exact size of a tank will
vary depending on the size of a house and its flow requirements, “most stored water systems
will need less than 300 gal (1136 L) of stored water to satisfy the 10-minute demand.”
Special considerations for home fire sprinkler pumps
Adding a pump adds complexity to a system. NFPA outlines several requirements when a pump
that only pressurizes the water supply for the sprinklers is used:
From the 2022 edition of NFPA 13D
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6.2.1 Where a pump is the source of pressure for the water supply for a fire sprinkler system but
is not a portion of the domestic water system, the following shall be met:
(1) A test connection shall be provided downstream of the pump that creates a flow of water
equal to the smallest sprinkler K-factor on the system.
(2) Pump motors using ac power shall be rated for 240 V and wired in accordance with the NEC
(NFPA 70). [Note: This requirement covers pumps used in all types of systems, regardless of
water source]
(3) Any disconnecting means for the pump shall be approved.
(4) The pump shall be located not less than 11⁄2 in. off the floor.
Sprinkler heads in residential sprinkler systems
The major orientation classifications of home fire sprinkler heads govern where the heads are
placed and how they operate: pendent, upright, and sidewall. Within those categories, a sprinkler
can be concealed or exposed (with recessed or non-recessed options), and usually have an ordinary
or intermediate temperature rating.
There are other variations of sprinkler heads, like sprinklers that are required for “dry” systems or
other varieties for special locations like saunas, steam rooms, and mechanical closets — but the
overwhelming majority of residential fire sprinkler systems are “wet” (water is always in the pipe)
and have pendent and/or sidewall heads with activation temperature around 155F (68C), and any
special areas often do not require sprinkler coverage in NFPA 13D.
Temperature ratings are also important factors:
• Sprinkler heads with an ordinary temperature rating deploy when the temperature
around the trigger reaches 135°F to 170°F (57°C to 77°C). These are the go-to
rating in most installations.
• Sprinklers with an intermediate temperature rating deploy when the temperature
reaches 175°F to 225°F (79°C to 107°C). They may be used for sprinklers close to
consistent heat sources.
How many fire sprinkler heads are necessary?
NFPA 13D’s overall guidance recommends “sprinklering of all areas in a dwelling” but does not
require it. Essentially, sprinklers only need to cover rooms of a certain size that are considered
living areas. Standard sprinklers cover a 12’ x 12’ area and extended coverage sprinklers cover a
20’ x 20’ area, and each head must generally be placed at least 8’ apart; thus, many rooms will
only need one or two sprinkler heads.
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This image shows how a residential system only needs 1-2 sprinkler heads per room. Image
source: The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
Sections of a home that can be excluded from coverage according to NFPA standards include small
bathrooms, garages, closets, and other storage spaces. The reason? “The historical loss data
associated with fires in residential properties serve as a reasonable justification to permit the
omission of sprinklers in spaces where a low incidence of fire deaths has occurred, thus lowering
costs.”
From the 2022 Edition of NFPA 13D
8.3.2 Sprinklers shall not be required in bathrooms of 55 ft2 (5.1 m2) and less.
8.3.3 Sprinklers shall not be required in clothes closets, linen closets, and pantries that meet all of
the following conditions:
(1) The area of the space does not exceed 24 ft2 (2.2 m2).
(2) The walls and ceilings are surfaced with noncombustible or limited-combustible materials as
defined in NFPA 220.
8.3.4* Sprinklers shall not be required in garages, open attached porches and balconies, carports,
and similar structures.
8.3.5 Sprinklers shall not be required in attics with or without storage, penthouse equipment rooms,
elevator machine rooms, concealed spaces dedicated exclusively to and containing only dwelling
unit ventilation equipment, floor/ceiling spaces, vertical chases, elevator shafts, crawl spaces, and
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other concealed spaces that are not used or intended for living purposes. [Note: with exceptions
for spaces with “fuel-fired equipment.”]
8.3.6 Sprinklers shall not be required in unheated enclosures at the building at entrances/exits as
long as the dwelling unit has another entrance/exit.
8.3.7 Sprinklers shall not be required for ceiling pockets that meet the following conditions:
(1) The total volume of all unprotected ceiling pockets in a compartment does not exceed 100 ft3
(2.8 m3).
(2) The entire floor under the unprotected ceiling pocket is protected by sidewall or pendent
sprinklers at the lower ceiling elevation.
(3) * The interior finish of the unprotected ceiling pocket excluding decorative treatments is
noncombustible or limited-combustible material.
(4) Skylights not exceeding 32 ft2 (3 m2) shall be permitted to have a plastic cover.
8.3.8 Sprinklers shall not be required in closets in garages and exterior closets (regardless of size)
located on exterior balconies, exterior breezeways/corridors, or accessed from outdoors where the
closet does not have doors or unprotected penetrations directly into the dwelling unit.
8.3.9 Sprinklers shall be installed in any closet used for heating and/or air-conditioning equipment,
washers and/or dryers, or water heaters except as allowed by 8.3.8.
Driver #1: K-Factor and Minimum Pressure
There are two drivers for the actual minimum flow that must come from a fire sprinkler.
The first driver is the K-Factor and Minimum Pressure. This equation is
Q = k√P
Q = Flow (gpm)
k = Sprinkler k-Factor
P = Pressure (psi)
With a 5.6 k-factor and a minimum pressure of 7.0 psi (as is required by NFPA 13), we get a
flow of 5.6 x √7 = 14.8 gpm
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