Sprinkler system requirements for a 3-family in Brooklyn

Hey, Can someone please distill for me the sprinkler system requirements for 3-family residential-only home? What exactly needs to be painted red? Do I need a pressure gauge on my system if it’s connected to city water? How many sprinklers do I need? How can I test a sprinkler to see if it works? Do I really need to have someone come take a look at my system every month? Thanks, SR

scottross

in About Brooklyn 11 years and 9 months ago

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makainyc | 11 years and 9 months ago

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Hi, We recently converted a 5 family to a three family and had to re-do some of the existing sprinkler system. (We just received our TCO, w/no objections to the sprinkler sysyem). If you are working with an existing system or starting from scratch, in order to determine the placement & correct # of sprinkler heads, you will need to hire an engineer. Plans to add and/or move heads will need to be filed with city. Master plumber needs to do installation. We also used Stanley Lewis and were very happy with their service. (Be prepared for some sticker shock 🙂 Once system is complete, Master plumber will do pressure/flow test. You will get a “Flow Test Report”. And give you “Certification of Compliance” with color coding. Redrobin is correct, monthly inspections do not seem to be necessary. Here is the Color coding doc. from the city: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/standpipe_sprinkler_flyer.pdf Painting is very confusing, but basically all sprinkler pipes that lead to more than one head need to be painted red. We had system installed so that all shared pipes (red) are in the common areas and pipes going into apartments, branching off of common area pipes, only led to single sprinkler heads. This way the pipes inside of apartments could be painted to match ceiling color (white). Hope this makes sense! Good Luck!

housepoor | 11 years and 9 months ago

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The link to the rules for the S11 Fitness test is: www.nyc.gov_html_fdny_pdf_cof_study_material_s_11_residential_sprinkler_systems.pdf The test is straightforward and includes all the rules you have to know including the need to do monthly inspections as well as periodic inspections witnessed by the NYFD. it is given at Metrotech.

Guest User | 11 years and 9 months ago

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I’m sorry this response is going to be a little vague, but it’s been 2 years since I had some similar questions. I did want to let you know that you won’t need to have someone check the system monthly — unless the fire dpt. comes by and gives you a notification to that effect. And I don’t think that happens too often. And if it does, you can get certified to do it yourself if need be. As for the having the system checked, we needed to do that when we purchased our building. We had our plumber, Stanley Lewis, come by and check the system (they do this all the time and you need to hire someone who knows what they’re doing). We needed to have some of the sprinkler heads replaced because they were painted over (and I think they were around $100 a pop of I’m remembering right) and therefore wouldn’t work properly, but that was it. They did check the system by draining it, but that went smoothly. Hopefully others will chime in but that’s the info I can provide.