Understanding Home Fire Sprinklers: NFPA 13D
Home Fire Sprinklers Are Designed For Life Safety
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.
NFPA 13D is referenced in many building and fire codes. It is intended to prevent injury and life loss. The standard requires up to a maximum of 40 gpm water supply to accommodate one or two operating sprinklers for at least 10 minutes. Water on the fire in its initial stage of development controls the fire early, giving residents the time to safely escape and the fire department time to respond. A typical home fire will be controlled and may even be extinguished by the time the fire department arrives.
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.
Today’s Homebuyers Want Home Fire Sprinklers
In October of 2020 Opinium surveyed more than 2000 US adults of all ages about new-home preferences and fire safety. Watch the presentation.