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Looking for signs
Signage is the key to proper identification of system capabilities.

NFPA Journal®, March/April 2007

As the 2007 edition of NFPA 13, Installation of Sprinkler Systems, was being prepared, some referred to it as “the year of the placard.” There are several new rules within the installation standard intended to improve the identification of systems and components:

• Systems that have more than one control valve that must be closed to work on the system are required to have a sign referring to the existence and location of other valves (6.7.4.3.1).
• Where remote antifreeze systems are installed on parts of a wet pipe system, a placard is required at the main system riser that indicates the number and location of all remote antifreeze systems supported by that riser (7.6.1.4).
• Each antifreeze system main control valve is required to have a placard that indicates the manufacturer type and brand of antifreeze solution used, the concentration of the antifreeze solution, and the volume of the antifreeze solution put into the system (7.6.1.5).
• The name of the installing contractor has been added to the list of information for the sign required at the alarm valve, dry valve, preaction valve, or deluge valve of a hydraulically designed system. This sign also indicates the location of the design area, discharge densities, required flow and pressure at the base of the riser, occupancy or commodity classification with maximum storage height and configuration, and hose stream allowance (24.5).

A “general information sign” is required at each system control riser, antifreeze loop, and auxiliary system control valve to provide information relevant to the inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements of NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems (24.6):

Name and location of facility; presence of high-piled and/or rack storage; maximum height of storage planned; aisle width planned; commodity classification; encapsulation of pallet loads; presence of solid shelving; flow test data; name of installing contractor or designer; and indication of presence and location of antifreeze or other auxiliary systems

An Annex section clarifies that while the information on the general information sign might be useful during a system inspection, such use should not be considered a hazard assessment. In substantiating the new sign, the Technical Committee stated the intent was to “provide critical information for municipal inspectors, designers, and insurers when reviewing system criteria for changes in occupancy or storage array. While this information is required to be included on shop drawings, time has proven that building plans are often unavailable or difficult to find in a timely manner.” The standard requires signs to be permanently marked weatherproof metal or rigid plastic signs, secured with corrosion-resistant wire, chain, or other approved means.

The 2008 edition of NFPA 25 will be presented for adoption at the NFPA World Safety Conference and Exposition® in June, and it contains new signage requirements. An information sign will be required at the riser of each dry, preaction, and antifreeze system, and at each auxiliary system control valve to indicate the area served by the system, the location of auxiliary drains and low point drains, and the presence and location of antifreeze or other auxiliary systems. The Technical Committee has acknowledged that retroactive installation of these signs will be necessary for the proper maintenance of systems.

Very often, the companies that inspect and maintain fire protection system are not the companies that originally installed the systems. Many sprinklered buildings have complex architecture that leads to sectional drains and small areas subject to freezing. Signage is the key to proper identification of system capabilities and is essential to the prevention of system freeze-ups.