# residential/quick response sprinklers



## BSSTG (Jun 24, 2014)

Greetings all,

I'm in need of some historical info.

1 am wondering around what year that the quick response or residential type sprinklers came into use.

2 how far back does the requirement go in Group R for there to be residential type sprinklers.

Being an old ditch digging electrician from way back when turned BO I just don't know a lot of Code history regarding stuff except elect. The debate rages about sprinkler requirements here.

The reason I'm asking is that I attended a sortof town hall last night and the presenter is an architect who used to be a Houston BO. Really nice guy older gentleman. But he said something that confounded me. He said that sprinkler systems are not all that great for life safety as they don't go off quick enough to save lives. He advocates more on the alarm end than the sprinkler end. In reading the commentary to the 09 IBC sect 903.3.2 it leads me to believe that the quick response heads are a real life saver. All of my training I've gone through would also lead me to believe the residential head are intended for life safety and do sustain tenability of the environment long enough to egress safely.

Unfortunately, a lot, probably most of the folks listening to this presentation will only remember those comments, as nobody wants sprinklers.

Thoughts?

thanksabunch

BSSTG


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## cda (Jun 24, 2014)

Old BO, just what Mitchum was made for

Sounds like he is in the non fire sprinkler group

It is not a matter of when Qr heads came in to play, to me does the house have a fire sprinkler system

Head technology continues to improve, he QR heads have different characteristics.

Just hope the thread does not turn into us vs them


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## cda (Jun 24, 2014)

BSSTG said:
			
		

> Greetings all,I'm in need of some historical info.
> 
> 1 am wondering around what year that the quick response or residential type sprinklers came into use.
> 
> ...


Will let you decide::::

http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org/research-reports.aspx


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## cda (Jun 24, 2014)

2 how far back does the requirement go in Group R for there to be residential type sprinklers.

I inspected sprinkled homes in 1985


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## cda (Jun 24, 2014)

"""""Unfortunately, a lot, probably most of the folks listening to this presentation will only remember those comments, as nobody wants sprinklers. """"

A show of hands how many have working smoke alarms through out your home??

When did you test them last????


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## cda (Jun 25, 2014)

Looks like maybe the 1999 edition of NFPA 13, is when QR heads were required??


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## Builder Bob (Jun 25, 2014)

BSSTG, Bull malarkly!!

Full scale testing often shows the smoke detector and a sprinkler head going off about the same time - generally with 45 seconds of a fire starting. The differnce is that the smoke detector only alerts an occupant if theyare coherent enought or capable of hearing the smoke detector go off, A fire sprinkler system while not giving any alert sounds prior to activating, will wake the person up while extinguishing the fire.

Look at NFPA, UL, and US Fire Administration.

And oh for fun, search UL for modern vs. legacy ... rememebr, the national standard for a fire deparmtent to arrive on scene is approx. 10 minutes aftter a fire starts ( The national response time for a fire department after notified is 5 to 6 minutes). A fire will have a 4 to 5 minute head start before a fire department is notified.


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