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Residential Sprinkler Systems and Antifreeze
Reports by the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) and subsequent testing have identified
concerns with the use of certain antifreeze
solutions. Under certain conditions, solutions of
glycerin and propylene glycol antifreeze have been
found to ignite when discharged from automatic
sprinkler systems. Recent news media accounts have
elevated the level of concern.
See:
CALL7 Investigation:
Antifreeze in Fire Sprinklers Can Fuel Flames
“Fire sprinklers are one of the most effective ways
to save lives and property from fire,” said Steven
J. Pischke, President of the Colorado State Fire
Chiefs’ Association (CSFCA). “We are urging the
public to continue the use of sprinklers but to
follow the safety guidelines recommended by the NFPA.”
NFPA has offered the following guidance regarding
existing residential sprinkler systems:
·
Residential fire sprinklers are extremely effective
fire protection devices, significantly reducing
deaths, injuries, and property loss from fire. These
systems should not be disconnected.
·
Existing residential fire sprinkler systems,
whenever possible, should not contain an antifreeze
solution.
·
If you have, or are responsible for, an existing
residential occupancy with a fire sprinkler system,
contact a sprinkler contractor to check and see if
there is antifreeze solution in the system.
·
If there is antifreeze solution in the system,
determine if other means, such as insulation, can be
used to provide adequate freeze protection.
If there is no viable alternative to antifreeze
solutions, NFPA recommends the following:
1. Use only propylene glycol or glycerin antifreeze
solution.
2. The antifreeze solution should be the lowest
possible concentration required for the needed
freeze potential, but under no circumstance should
the antifreeze solution exceed a maximum
concentration of 40% of propylene glycol or a
maximum concentration of 50% of glycerin.
Consideration should be given to reducing these
concentrations by an additional safety factor.
3. The antifreeze solution should only be a factory
pre-mixed solution; use of factory pre-mixed
solutions is essential to ensure the proper
concentration level and solution integrity.
4. Antifreeze solutions should only be used with the
approval of the local authority having jurisdiction.
For now, and until any further action by NFPA
consensus standards committees, NFPA sprinkler
standards prohibit the use of antifreeze in new
residential fire sprinkler systems.
CSFCA President Pischke encourages fire departments
to distribute these recommendations to homeowners
and persons with residential sprinkler systems and
to make all of their personnel aware of the facts
concerning this issue.
Background
On July 6, 2010 the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) issued a safety
alert recommending that residential fire
sprinkler systems containing antifreeze be drained
and the antifreeze replaced with water. The alert
was issued after a fire incident raised concerns
about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler
systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a
kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration
of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a
single fatality and serious injury to another
person.
In response, the Fire Protection Research Foundation
was charged with conducting a literature review,
preliminary testing, and a long term research plan.
See:
"Antifreeze Solutions in Home Fire Sprinkler
Systems: Literature Review and Research Plan"
In August, 2010 the
Fire Protection Research Foundation published
an
Interim Report to outline the results of Phase II
of the research project, which included further
testing of propylene glycol and glycerin antifreeze
solutions for a range of concentrations and
operating conditions.
Also, on August 16, 2010 The NFPA
Standards Council banned the use of antifreeze
solution in residential fire sprinkler systems for
new construction until further action by NFPA
consensus standards committees. NFPA also issued a
follow-up to its July 2010 safety alert to provide
updated guidance on the use of antifreeze in
residential fire sprinkler systems.
See:
NFPA Standards Council Bans
Use of Antifreeze in Sprinkler Systems for New
Residential Construction
See also:
NFPA's Updated Safety Alert
Regarding Antifreeze in Residential Sprinklers,
issued on August 18, 2010.
The Colorado Division of Fire Safety
issued an
Advisory to Homeowners and
Persons with Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems
on August 25, 2010.
In December 2010, the
Fire Protection Research Foundation published
its
Final Report of Phase II
research. The results of this research suggest that
antifreeze solutions of propylene glycol exceeding
40% and glycerin exceeding 50% by volume are not
appropriate for use in home fire sprinkler systems.
Consideration should be given to an appropriate
safety factor for concentrations of these antifreeze
solutions that are permitted by future editions of NFPA 13, as well as warnings and limitations
outlined in antifreeze product literature.
The use of solutions of diethylene
glycol and ethylene glycol in home fire sprinkler
systems should also be limited unless testing is
conducted to establish that they are appropriate for
use in home fire sprinkler systems. The results of
this analysis are limited to residential sprinklers;
the flammability of antifreeze solutions discharged
through other types of sprinklers has not been
investigated.
The
Phase II Final Report also made
recommendations further research, which included
investigating the use of Antifreeze Solutions in
Sprinkler Systems with Non-Residential Sprinklers.
For more information on this topic, go
here.
For more
information regarding residential sprinklers,
including the work of the FMAC/ICC Joint Ad-Hoc
Residential Sprinkler Committee, go
here.
Posted 02-21-11 |
