SynC™

SynC · Historical revision

Pre-Action and Deluge Sprinkler Systems

Revision8
EditedSep 14, 2026
StatusSuperseded
Contents

View changes in this revision   Revision history

Historical revision. This is editorial revision 8, kept so citations to it stay resolvable. It is not the current text of this standard — see the current revision.

SynC Standards Team — Specifier (Platform Standards) ✓ OfficialDiscloses employment SynC (SynC Platform Team)
Remake for template neutrality (batch 12)

1 Scope

NOTE This standard covers the system type, the releasing detection and control, the pre-action or deluge valve and its enclosure, the supervisory gas supply of a pre-action system, water delivery time, the discharge devices and zoning of a deluge system, and the acceptance tests specific to a sprinkler system that admits water on a detection signal. (1.1)
NOTE In a pre-action system, closed sprinklers sit on piping held under supervisory air or nitrogen, and a releasing control unit opens the pre-action valve on a detection signal, on the loss of supervisory pressure, or on both together, according to the interlock; water then discharges only where heat has opened a sprinkler. In a deluge system, open sprinklers or nozzles sit on piping open to atmosphere, and water discharges from every device at once when the detection signal opens the deluge valve. (1.2)
NOTE This standard is the pre-action and deluge layer over Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems. The family standard establishes how a sprinkler system is classified, sized, supplied, valved, supported, tested, spared, and warranted; this standard establishes what changes when a detection system decides when water enters the pipe: the interlock, the detection and the panel that release the valve, the valve itself, the gas that supervises a pre-action system, the delay before water arrives, and the tests that prove the sequence. (1.3)
1.4 Pre-action and deluge systems furnished under this standard shall also comply with Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
1.5 Where a requirement of this standard and a requirement of Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems address the same subject, the requirement of this standard shall govern.
1.6 Hazard classification, design density and area, hose stream allowance, water supply verification, sprinkler selection and temperature rating, control valve supervision, hangers and seismic bracing, hydrostatic testing, warranty, and the spare sprinkler cabinet for systems furnished under this standard shall be as required by Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
1.7 Pipe, fittings, and joints for systems furnished under this standard shall be as required by Fire Protection PipingFire Protection Piping and SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-protection-piping.
1.8 The pitch, auxiliary drains, inspector's test connection arrangement, interior corrosion protection, and refrigerated-space provisions of the dry piping downstream of each pre-action or deluge valve shall be as required for dry piping by Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsDry-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/dry-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
NOTE The dry piping of a pre-action or deluge system holds the same standing water, the same oxygen, and the same freeze exposure as the piping of a dry-pipe system, and the provisions that manage them are the same provisions; this standard invokes them rather than restating them. (1.9)
1.10 The extent of each pre-action or deluge system and the location of each pre-action or deluge valve shall be as indicated on the fire protection plans and riser diagram.
NOTE The following are outside the scope of this standard: (1.11)
  • Dry-pipe systems, which admit water on the loss of supervisory pressure alone with no detection system, and which are covered by Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsDry-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/dry-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems
  • The fire alarm control unit, initiating device circuits, notification appliances, and supervising station connection beyond the releasing service that operates these valves, which are covered by Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems
  • Clean agent systems protecting spaces where no water discharge is acceptable, which are covered by Clean Agent Fire SuppressionClean Agent Fire Suppression SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/clean-agent-fire-suppression
  • Fire pumps and the pressure they add to the supply, which are covered by Fire PumpsFire PumpsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-pumps
  • The fire department connection, its check valve, and its automatic drain, which are covered by Fire Department ConnectionsFire Department ConnectionsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-department-connections
  • Standpipes and hose connections, which are covered by Standpipe SystemsStandpipe SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/standpipe-systems
  • A plant compressed air system that supplies more than the pre-action systems, which is covered by Compressed Air SystemsCompressed Air SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/compressed-air-systems
  • Foam-water sprinkler and foam-water deluge systems, which add the concentrate, proportioning, and discharge duration provisions of NFPA 16
  • Water spray fixed systems designed under NFPA 15, whose nozzle selection, spacing, and density are outside this standard even where the deluge valve, its detection, and its releasing are furnished under it
  • Systems protecting storage occupancies under the storage chapters of NFPA 13, whose density, in-rack, and delivery provisions are outside this standard

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Equipment, materials, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
2.2 Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
Standard Title
NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
NFPA 15 Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection
NFPA 16 Standard for the Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems
NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
NFPA 70 National Electrical Code
NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
NFPA 409 Standard on Aircraft Hangars
UL 260 Dry Pipe and Deluge Valves for Fire-Protection Service
UL 268 Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems
UL 521 Heat Detectors for Fire Protective Signaling Systems
UL 753 Alarm Accessories for Automatic Water-Supply Control Valves for Fire-Protection Service
UL 864 Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems
FM 1011 Approval Standard for Deluge and Preaction Sprinkler Systems
FM Global Data Sheet 2-0 Installation Guidelines for Automatic Sprinklers
FM Global Data Sheet 2-1 Corrosion in Automatic Sprinkler Systems
NOTE Successive editions of NFPA 13 have changed the sprinkler count permitted on one pre-action valve, the water delivery provisions applied to a double-interlock system, the design area increase applied to it, and the supervision thresholds, and successive editions of NFPA 72 have changed the releasing circuit and detector spacing provisions, so the editions adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction settle which rule applies to a given project. (2.3)
2.4 The Contractor shall confirm the editions of NFPA 13 and NFPA 72 adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction before beginning the working drawings.

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for the Engineer of Record's review and return, together with the submittals required by Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, before the pre-action or deluge valve, the releasing control unit, the detection devices, or the dry piping is procured:
  • Product data for the pre-action or deluge valve and its trim, identifying the listing, the size, the body and trim materials, the release arrangement, the priming requirement, and the supervisory pressure range the manufacturer publishes for the selected arrangement
  • Product data for the releasing control unit, identifying its listing for releasing service, the releasing circuits, the secondary power calculation, and the compatibility listing with the solenoid it operates
  • Product data for each detection device, identifying its listing, its listed spacing, its temperature rating where it is a heat detector, and its operating temperature range
  • The releasing matrix, stating for each system every initiating device or zone, the initiating logic, the interlock inputs, the releasing output, the release delay where one is provided, the manual release and abort inputs, the alarm and supervisory outputs, and every auxiliary function operated on a release
  • Detection layout drawings showing every detector, its spacing, the ceiling height and construction it is spaced for, every manual release station, and the releasing control unit location
  • Product data for the supervisory gas source of each pre-action system, identifying the compressor or nitrogen generator, its capacity, the air maintenance device, the dryer, and the relief valve
  • The calculated volume of each double-interlock system and the water delivery time calculation for each system subject to the delivery time requirement
  • The deluge zone layout showing every open sprinkler or nozzle, its listing, its orientation, and the zone it belongs to, with the hydraulic calculation covering every device on the zones assumed to operate together
  • The valve enclosure heating provision, where the enclosure is not a heated room of the building
Action Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Pre-action or deluge valve and trim product data
☑ Releasing control unit product data
☑ Detection device product data
☑ Releasing matrix
☑ Detection layout drawings
☐ Supervisory gas source product data
☐ System volume and water delivery time calculation
☐ Deluge zone layout and hydraulic calculation
☐ Valve enclosure heating provision
3.1.2 The releasing control unit shall not be programmed, and the detection devices shall not be installed, until the releasing matrix has been reviewed and returned.
NOTE The releasing matrix is the one document on which the sprinkler side and the detection side of the system agree about what causes water to enter the pipe. A valve released by a logic no one reviewed is the way a single failed detector floods a data hall, and the matrix is where that logic is read before it is wired. (3.1.3)

3.2 Closeout Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following before the pre-action or deluge system is accepted, in addition to the closeout submittals required by Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems:
  • The trip test record for each valve, recording the initiating event, the time from the initiating event to the release signal, the time from the release signal to the valve opening, and, where water was flowed, the time to water at the inspector's test connection or at the most remote discharge device
  • The releasing sequence test record, recording the result of every row of the releasing matrix, including the confirmation that each interlock condition alone did not release a double-interlock valve
  • The air leakage test record for each pre-action system, recording the starting pressure, the pressure after 24 hours, and the ambient temperature at each reading
  • The as-left supervisory gas pressure and low-pressure supervisory setpoint for each pre-action system
  • The NFPA 72 record of completion for the releasing control unit and its detection, signed by the installer of that portion
  • The as-built releasing matrix and the releasing control unit program record
  • Operation and maintenance data covering the valve reset procedure, the releasing control unit, the detection devices and their sensitivity test intervals, the supervisory gas supply, and the NFPA 25 and NFPA 72 inspection and test intervals that apply to these systems
Closeout Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Trip test record
☑ Releasing sequence test record
☑ Air leakage test record
☑ As-left supervisory pressure and setpoint
☑ NFPA 72 record of completion for the releasing portion
☑ As-built releasing matrix and program record
☑ Operation and maintenance data

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 The individual who prepares the working drawings for the sprinkler side of the system shall have prepared the design of not fewer than three pre-action or deluge systems that were accepted by an Authority Having Jurisdiction.
4.2 The individual who prepares the releasing matrix and the detection layout shall hold the qualification for fire alarm system layout required by Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems and by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
4.3 Where the parties disagree whether a designer's experience meets that requirement, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination.
4.4 The Contractor shall identify on the working drawings the designer responsible for the sprinkler side and the designer responsible for the releasing side, and one entity shall be responsible to the Owner for the operation of the two together.
NOTE A pre-action or deluge system is two trades' work joined at a solenoid, and the acceptance test is where a gap between them is found. Naming a single responsible entity before the work starts is what keeps the gap from being discovered as a dispute over whose scope the releasing circuit was. (4.5)
4.6 The pre-action or deluge valve, its trim, the releasing solenoid, the air maintenance device, the nitrogen generator, and each detection device shall be listed for fire protection service.
4.7 The releasing control unit shall be listed to UL 864 for releasing device service, and a control unit that is not listed for releasing service shall not operate a pre-action or deluge valve.
4.8 The releasing solenoid shall be listed for use with the valve it operates and with the releasing control unit that drives it, and a solenoid, a valve, and a control unit from different manufacturers shall not be combined unless the combination is covered by a listing.
NOTE A releasing circuit is listed as a matched set because the panel's output current, the solenoid's coil, and the valve's release port are tested together; a solenoid that draws more than the circuit supplies opens late or not at all, and a circuit that supervises a coil it was not listed with reports trouble on a healthy solenoid. (4.9)
4.10 Where the Owner's property insurer requires it, the components named in this standard shall carry the insurer's approval in addition to the listing, in accordance with Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.

5 System Type and Sequence of Operation

5.1 System Type

5.1.1 The system type of each pre-action or deluge system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
System Typeselect
Non-interlock pre-action
Single-interlock pre-action
Double-interlock pre-action
Deluge
Per drawings — the fire protection riser diagram
NOTE The four types differ in what admits water to the pipe: (5.1.2)
  • A non-interlock pre-action system admits water on a detection signal or on the loss of supervisory pressure, whichever comes first, so a broken pipe fills the system as a dry-pipe system would while a detector fills it sooner.
  • A single-interlock pre-action system admits water on a detection signal alone, so a broken sprinkler or fitting in a room with no fire releases gas and reports a supervisory condition without admitting water, and a fire fills the pipe before the first sprinkler opens.
  • A double-interlock pre-action system admits water only when a detection signal and the loss of supervisory pressure coincide, so neither a failed detector nor a broken pipe admits water on its own, and water arrives after the first sprinkler opens with the delay of a dry-pipe system.
  • A deluge system has open discharge devices and admits water on a detection signal, discharging from every device on the zone at once.
NOTE The single interlock suits a space where the cost of water in the pipe after an unconfirmed detection is a drain-down, and where water waiting at the sprinkler when it opens is worth the exposure to a detection fault; the double interlock suits a space where water in the pipe without a fire is itself the loss, including piping that would freeze, at the cost of the dry-pipe delay and the enlarged design area; the non-interlock suits a space where the detection is wanted for early water rather than for protection against accidental discharge; and deluge suits a hazard that grows faster than sprinklers open in sequence, or a surface that must be wetted all at once. (5.1.3)
5.1.4 Where the protected space is held at or below 32°F, a system type that admits water on a detection signal alone shall not be used unless the Engineer of Record accepts in writing the drain-down and drying of the piping that follows every unconfirmed detection event.
NOTE Water admitted to freezer piping by a detector with no fire has minutes before it becomes ice, and the ice is removed by warming the piping or cutting it out; the double interlock exists so that an open sprinkler, which a fire produces and a detector fault does not, is a condition of admitting water. (5.1.5)
5.1.6 Where double-interlock pre-action is selected, the design area increase NFPA 13 applies to a dry-pipe system shall be applied under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, and the delivery time requirement of this standard shall apply.
5.1.7 Where non-interlock or single-interlock pre-action is selected, the design area shall be the wet-pipe design area for the hazard under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, with no increase for the system type.
NOTE NFPA 13 enlarges the design area of a double-interlock system because water is not in the pipe when the first sprinkler opens, so sprinklers open ahead of the water exactly as on a dry-pipe system. A non-interlock or single-interlock system fills on detection, ahead of the first sprinkler in the fire the detection was spaced to find, and so keeps the wet-pipe area. (5.1.8)
5.1.9 Not more than 1,000 automatic sprinklers shall be controlled by any one pre-action valve, in accordance with NFPA 13.
5.1.10 Where the sprinkler count of a pre-action system as drawn would exceed that limit, the Contractor shall subdivide the system into additional systems, each with its own valve, and shall report the subdivision to the Engineer of Record before the working drawings are submitted.

5.2 Sequence of Operation

5.2.1 The sequence of operation of each system shall be as stated in the reviewed releasing matrix, and the releasing control unit shall be programmed to that matrix and to no other logic.
5.2.2 On a detection signal that satisfies the initiating logic, the releasing control unit shall transmit a fire alarm signal to the building fire alarm system, shall operate the auxiliary functions the matrix assigns to the detection stage, and, where the interlock conditions of the system type are satisfied, shall operate the releasing output after any release delay indicated in the datasheet.
5.2.3 On a double-interlock system, the releasing control unit shall operate the releasing output only when the detection signal and the low-pressure supervisory signal from the system piping are both present, and either signal alone shall produce the alarm or supervisory signal assigned to it without operating the release.
5.2.4 On a non-interlock system, the loss of supervisory pressure shall open the valve through the valve trim without waiting for the releasing control unit, and the releasing control unit shall receive the low-pressure signal as a supervisory signal.
5.2.5 Water entering the piping shall initiate the waterflow alarm required under Waterflow Alarm, and the waterflow alarm shall be transmitted whether or not the releasing control unit initiated the release.
NOTE The waterflow alarm is transmitted on the water, not on the logic, so that a valve opened by the manual release, by the pilot line, or by a trim fault reports the same way a valve opened by the panel does. (5.2.6)
5.2.7 The releasing matrix shall assign each auxiliary function to the stage at which it operates, and a function assigned to the detection stage shall operate on the first detection signal whether or not the release follows.

6 Releasing Detection and Control

6.1 Releasing Control Unit

6.1.1 The releasing control unit arrangement shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Releasing Control Unit Arrangementradio
○ Dedicated releasing control unit for each pre-action or deluge system
○ One dedicated releasing control unit serving several systems
○ Releasing function of the building fire alarm control unit
NOTE A dedicated releasing panel at each valve keeps the release logic, its power, and its detection on one small unit that a technician can isolate and test without touching the building system, and it reports to the building system as a single alarm and a single supervisory point; a shared releasing panel does the same for a group of valves in one location; and a building fire alarm control unit listed for releasing service can carry the logic itself, which removes a panel and a monitoring interface at the cost of putting the release logic in the same program as the rest of the building. (6.1.2)
6.1.3 Where the building fire alarm control unit performs the releasing function, its listing shall cover releasing device service, and the releasing circuits, their supervision, and their secondary power shall meet the requirements of this standard for a releasing control unit.
6.1.4 Each pre-action or deluge valve shall be operated by its own releasing circuit, and a releasing circuit shall not serve more than one valve unless the valves are designed to release together.
6.1.5 The releasing control unit shall be provided with secondary power that operates the unit in the standby condition for the period NFPA 72 requires for a releasing service unit and then operates the releasing output, the alarm outputs, and the auxiliary functions for the alarm period NFPA 72 requires.
6.1.6 The releasing control unit shall be supplied from a dedicated branch circuit in accordance with NFPA 72 and NFPA 70, and the circuit shall be identified at the panelboard as serving the fire sprinkler releasing service.
6.1.7 The releasing circuit to each solenoid shall be supervised for open, short, and ground conditions, and a fault on it shall produce a trouble signal at the releasing control unit and at the building fire alarm system.
6.1.8 The releasing circuits and the initiating device circuits of the releasing control unit shall be of the class and pathway survivability required by NFPA 72 for releasing service and selected under Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems.
6.1.9 The releasing control unit shall transmit its alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals to the building fire alarm system or to the supervising station in accordance with NFPA 72 and Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems.
6.1.10 The releasing control unit shall be located as indicated on the fire protection plans.
6.1.11 The releasing control unit and its detection devices shall not be placed in service until the protected space is free of the construction dust and fumes that would operate the detection.
6.1.12 The disconnect that isolates the releasing output from the solenoid for testing shall be a listed disconnect that is supervised, so that a releasing circuit left disconnected after a test produces a trouble signal.
NOTE A releasing circuit disconnected for a test and not reconnected is the fault that leaves a room with detectors, a panel, and a valve that will never open, and a supervised disconnect is the only device that reports it. (6.1.13)

6.2 Releasing Detection

6.2.1 The detection types used for releasing service on the project shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Releasing Detection Typescheckbox
☐ Spot smoke detectors
☐ Air-sampling smoke detection
☐ Spot heat detectors, fixed-temperature
☐ Spot heat detectors, rate-of-rise or rate-compensated
☐ Linear heat detection cable
☐ Optical flame detectors
☐ Heat-actuated devices on a pneumatic pilot line
☐ Wet pilot sprinkler line
☐ Dry pilot sprinkler line
6.2.2 The detection type used at each system shall be as indicated on the detection layout drawings.
NOTE Each detection type answers a different environment: (6.2.3)
  • Spot smoke detectors and air-sampling detection find a fire before it produces the heat a sprinkler needs, and so give a pre-action system the time to fill before the first sprinkler opens; they suit a space with controlled airflow and no process smoke, and they do not suit a freezer, a dusty process area, or a space open to weather.
  • Fixed-temperature and rate-of-rise heat detectors are indifferent to dust, humidity, and airflow, and fixed-temperature units listed for low temperature are the spot detection that works in a freezer, at the cost of responding later than smoke detection.
  • Linear heat detection cable follows a conveyor, a cable tray, or a transformer, and detects along its length rather than at points.
  • Optical flame detectors respond within seconds to a flaming fire of a fuel they are listed for and are the detection that keeps up with a flammable liquid or a hangar floor, at the cost of a field of view that must be kept clear and a sensitivity to other radiant sources that the listing describes.
  • Heat-actuated devices on a pneumatic pilot line, and wet or dry pilot sprinkler lines, are detection without electrical circuits; the pilot line itself carries the release to the valve, and they suit a location where a releasing control unit, its power, and its wiring are not wanted in the hazard.
6.2.4 Detection devices used for releasing service shall be listed for that service and installed, spaced, and located in accordance with NFPA 72 for releasing service, including the spacing reductions NFPA 72 applies for ceiling height, ceiling construction, and airflow.
6.2.5 Heat detectors that release a non-interlock or single-interlock pre-action valve shall have a temperature rating lower than the rating of the sprinklers they precede and shall be spaced so that they operate before the sprinklers open.
NOTE On a system that fills on detection, a heat detector that opens after the sprinkler has admitted nothing before the sprinkler needed water, and the system has become a dry-pipe system with a panel in it. The detector rating and spacing are what put the water in the pipe first. (6.2.6)
6.2.7 Detection devices shall be listed for the temperature, humidity, and atmosphere of the space in which they are installed, and detectors in a space held at or below 32°F shall be listed for the lowest temperature of that space.
6.2.8 Where a pilot line is used, the pilot line shall be installed, sized, pitched, and protected as the valve manufacturer's listing requires, and a dry pilot line shall be supervised for the loss of pilot pressure.

6.3 Initiating Logic

6.3.1 The initiating logic by which the releasing control unit accepts a detection signal as a fire shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Detection Initiating Logicradio
○ Single detector or single detection zone
○ Cross-zoned detection, two detection zones
○ Two detectors in one detection zone
○ Not applicable, pilot line release
NOTE Single-detector logic releases the valve on the first detection and gives the earliest water; cross-zoned logic requires a detector on each of two interleaved zones, so that one failed or contaminated detector cannot release the valve and a fire in the space between two detectors is confirmed by both; and two-detector logic within one zone gives the same confirmation on an addressable system without the second circuit. Each is a listed arrangement, and the tradeoff is the second detection that a confirmed release waits for. (6.3.2)
6.3.3 Where cross-zoned or two-detector logic is selected, the first detection signal shall produce a fire alarm signal at the building fire alarm system and shall operate the auxiliary functions assigned to it, and the release shall follow the second detection signal.
6.3.4 Where cross-zoned or two-detector logic is selected, the detectors shall be spaced so that a fire at any point in the protected area is within the listed spacing of a detector on each zone, or of two detectors in the zone, as NFPA 72 requires for the logic selected.
NOTE Cross-zoned detection spaced as though it were single-zone detection leaves half the area within reach of only one zone, and a fire there produces an alarm that never becomes a release. (6.3.5)
6.3.6 The Contractor shall confirm the acceptance of the selected initiating logic with the Authority Having Jurisdiction and, where the Owner's insurer has a requirement, with the insurer before the releasing matrix is submitted.

6.4 Release Actuation

6.4.1 The means by which each pre-action or deluge valve is released shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Release Actuationradio
● Electric release by solenoid from the releasing control unit
○ Pneumatic release by dry pilot line
○ Hydraulic release by wet pilot line
○ Electric and pneumatic release
NOTE An electric release opens the valve on the releasing control unit's output through a solenoid on the trim, which is the arrangement every releasing logic, delay, abort, and auxiliary function is built on; a pneumatic or hydraulic release opens the valve when a pilot line loses pressure or gains it, with no panel between the detection and the valve, and suits a hazard without electrical service or where the detection is a pilot sprinkler line; and an electric and pneumatic release combines a solenoid with a pneumatic actuator on one trim, which is the trim arrangement of a double-interlock valve that uses the system's own supervisory pressure as the second interlock. (6.4.2)
6.4.3 Where the release actuation selected does not match the release arrangement the valve listing provides for the system type selected, the Contractor shall report the conflict to the Engineer of Record before the valve is procured.
6.4.4 Where electric release is selected, the solenoid shall be of the listed type for the valve and shall be arranged to fail in the position the listing assigns to it on loss of releasing circuit power, and the releasing matrix shall state whether the release is by energizing or by de-energizing the solenoid.
NOTE Where the release is by de-energizing the solenoid, the loss of power to the releasing circuit opens the valve, so the circuit and its secondary power must be as reliable as the detection; where the release is by energizing, a loss of power leaves the valve closed and reports trouble. The listing fixes which, and the matrix records it so the sequence tests check the right failure. (6.4.5)

6.5 Manual Controls and Release Delay

6.5.1 Each pre-action or deluge valve shall be provided with a manual emergency release on the valve trim that opens the valve without the releasing control unit and without electrical power.
6.5.2 The remote manual controls provided for each system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Remote Manual Controlscheckbox
☐ Remote manual release station at the protected area
☐ Remote manual release station at the releasing control unit
☐ Abort / delay function
6.5.3 Where a remote manual release station is provided, it shall be listed for releasing service, shall be located as indicated on the detection layout drawings, shall be identified as the manual release for the system it operates, and shall be protected against accidental operation by a listed cover.
NOTE A remote manual release lets the occupant who sees the fire open the valve before the detection confirms it, which on a hangar or a process area is the difference the detection spacing was chosen to close; a station placed where it can be operated in passing is a valve opened by a coat sleeve. (6.5.4)
6.5.5 An abort or delay function shall be provided only where the Authority Having Jurisdiction accepts it in writing for the system, and its operation shall be stated in the releasing matrix.
6.5.6 The release delay applied between the satisfied initiating logic and the releasing output shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Release Delayrange
s
101520304560
NOTE A delay gives the occupants of a deluge zone a pre-discharge warning and a chance to leave before every nozzle opens, and gives an operator a chance to abort a release the detection got wrong; each second of delay is a second the fire grows before water reaches it, which is why the function needs the acceptance of the Authority and a stated period rather than a preference. (6.5.7)
6.5.8 Where a release delay is provided, a pre-discharge alarm shall sound in the protected area for the duration of the delay, and the manual release shall bypass the delay.
6.5.9 Where an abort function is provided, it shall hold the release only while the abort switch is held operated, shall not reset the initiating logic, and shall not prevent the manual emergency release at the valve or the remote manual release station from opening the valve.

6.6 Auxiliary Functions on Release

6.6.1 The auxiliary functions the releasing control unit operates on a detection signal or a release shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Auxiliary Functions on Releasecheckbox
☐ Shutdown of air handling serving the protected area
☐ Closure of smoke or fire dampers at the protected area
☐ Emergency power off of equipment in the protected area
☐ Fire pump start signal
☐ Release of door holders and access control at the protected area
☐ Process or conveyor shutdown
6.6.2 The stage at which each auxiliary function operates, and the device or system it operates, shall be as stated in the releasing matrix.
NOTE Air handling that keeps running carries smoke away from the detectors that are waiting for it and carries water spray away from the fire; equipment that keeps running under water spray is the loss the water was meant to prevent; and a fire pump started on the release signal rather than on the pressure drop is at speed when the valve opens rather than seconds after. Which functions a project ties to the release is a decision of the Owner and the process, and the matrix is where it is written down. (6.6.3)
6.6.4 Each auxiliary function output shall be supervised or confirmed in the manner NFPA 72 requires for the function, and the interface to the system it operates shall be as indicated on the fire alarm interface schedule.

7 Pre-Action and Deluge Valve

7.1 Valve and Trim

7.1.1 The pre-action or deluge valve shall be listed to UL 260 for the system type and release arrangement selected, and its actuation design shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Valve Actuation Designselect
Diaphragm-actuated valve
Clapper valve with latch
Manufacturer's standard (by default)
NOTE A diaphragm valve is held closed by supply pressure on a diaphragm chamber and opens when the release vents the chamber, and one body is trimmed for non-interlock, single-interlock, double-interlock, or deluge service by changing the trim; a latched clapper valve is held by a mechanical latch that the release trips and is reset by hand. Either is listed for the service, and the choice follows the manufacturer's line unless the project has a reason to fix it. (7.1.2)
7.1.3 The pre-action or deluge valve size shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Pre-Action or Deluge Valve Sizerange
in.
1.522.53468
Per drawings — the fire protection riser diagram (deferred by default)
7.1.4 The valve shall be installed with the manufacturer's listed trim for the system type and release actuation selected, and the trim shall not be assembled in the field from components that are not part of the listing.
7.1.5 Where the valve listing calls for priming water, the trim shall include the priming water connection, a means to confirm the priming level without opening the valve, and, where the listing provides one, a priming water level supervisory switch.
7.1.6 The trim shall include a water-side pressure gauge and, on a pre-action system, a supervisory gas pressure gauge, each readable from the floor of the valve enclosure.
7.1.7 On a pre-action system the trim shall include a low-pressure supervisory switch on the system piping, and on a double-interlock system that switch, or a second switch provided for the purpose, shall be the low-pressure input to the releasing interlock.
7.1.8 The trim shall include the releasing solenoid or the pneumatic or hydraulic actuator for the release actuation selected, the manual emergency release, and an alarm pressure switch on the valve's alarm outlet.
7.1.9 The trim shall include a drain for the diaphragm chamber or intermediate chamber, arranged so that the chamber can be confirmed drained before the valve is reset.
7.1.10 The main drain shall discharge where a full-flow trip test can be run without damage to the building.
7.1.11 The fire department connection shall enter the system on the system side of the pre-action or deluge valve, and the connection, its check valve, and the automatic drain between the check valve and the system shall be as required by Fire Department ConnectionsFire Department ConnectionsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-department-connections.
7.1.12 The fire department connection sign shall identify the connection as serving a pre-action system or a deluge system, and shall identify the zone where more than one deluge zone is served.
7.1.13 A permanent sign shall be provided at each valve stating the system type, the initiating logic, the release actuation, the release delay where one is provided, the normal supervisory gas pressure and low-pressure setpoint where the system is supervised by gas, the calculated and the tested water delivery time where the delivery time requirement applies, and the location of the releasing control unit, in addition to the signs required by Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.

7.2 Valve Enclosure

7.2.1 The pre-action or deluge valve, its trim, its supply piping, the priming supply, and the supervisory gas source shall be located in an enclosure that is maintained at not less than the temperature indicated in the datasheet.
Valve Enclosure Minimum Temperaturerange
°F
4045505560
7.2.2 The means of heating the valve enclosure shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Valve Enclosure Heatingselect
Heated room of the building
Dedicated electric unit heater in the valve enclosure
Hydronic or steam unit heater in the valve enclosure
Listed insulated and heated valve enclosure
7.2.3 The heating provision shall maintain the datasheet temperature at the valve with the outdoor temperature at Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum and with the protected space at its lowest operating temperature.
NOTE The water side of the valve, the diaphragm chamber, the priming line, and the pilot lines are wet, so the valve is a wet component that has to live in heated space even though everything downstream of it is dry, and a deluge valve serving an outdoor hazard or a pre-action valve serving a freezer is the one most often found in a shed that the building's heating never reached. (7.2.4)
7.2.5 The valve enclosure shall provide clearance to operate every trim valve, read every gauge, service the supervisory gas source, reach the releasing solenoid and the manual emergency release, and remove the valve cover for internal inspection.
7.2.6 The valve enclosure shall be provided with a floor drain or an exterior discharge sized for the main drain flow.
7.2.7 The location of each valve enclosure shall be as indicated on the fire protection plans.

8 Supervisory Gas Supply

8.1 Supervisory Gas Source

8.1.1 Requirements in this section apply to pre-action systems, whose piping is held under supervisory gas; a deluge system is open to atmosphere and has no supervisory gas.
8.1.2 The supervisory gas source for each pre-action system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Supervisory Gas Sourceselect
Dedicated riser-mounted air compressor
Dedicated tank-mounted air compressor
Plant compressed air system through an air maintenance device
Membrane nitrogen generator
Pressure-swing adsorption nitrogen generator
Nitrogen cylinders through a pressure regulator
Not applicable, deluge systems only
NOTE The supervisory gas is either air or nitrogen, and the source selected fixes which. Air is what a compressor supplies and what oxidizes the pipe interior at every place water stands; nitrogen displaces that oxygen and is supplied by a generator that separates it from compressed air on site or by cylinders that are exchanged. Where the piping is to hold water rarely and be drained after every event, the corrosion nitrogen prevents is slower to arrive and air is the simpler supply; where the piping is expected to serve its full life with a supply that stands water at low points, or where the pipe interior is uncoated black steel, nitrogen removes the oxygen that drives the corrosion FM Global Data Sheet 2-1 describes, at the cost of a generator, a purge, and a purity to supervise. (8.1.3)
NOTE The supervisory pressure a pre-action valve needs is set by the valve, not by the water supply, so a pre-action system is held at a fraction of the supervisory pressure a dry-pipe valve on the same supply would need, and a source sized for a dry-pipe system is larger than a pre-action system uses. (8.1.4)
8.1.5 Where the supervisory gas source is a plant compressed air system, the connection to each pre-action system shall pass through a listed air maintenance device and a check valve, and the plant air shall be dried and filtered before it enters the device.
8.1.6 Where the supervisory gas source serves more than one pre-action system, each system shall be connected through its own listed air maintenance device and check valve, so that a release or a trip on one system does not depressurize the others.
8.1.7 The supervisory gas supply shall be provided with a listed relief valve, set not higher than the pressure rating of the system components, in accordance with NFPA 13.
8.1.8 The compressor or nitrogen generator shall be supplied from a dedicated branch circuit identified at the panelboard as serving the fire sprinkler supervisory gas supply, and the circuit shall comply with NFPA 70.
8.1.9 Where the supervisory gas source is a nitrogen generator, the generator shall be listed for the purpose, and the feed compressor, filtration, and separation module shall be furnished as the listed assembly.

8.2 Supervisory Gas Pressure

8.2.1 The normal supervisory gas pressure of each pre-action system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Supervisory Gas Pressurerange
psi
57101315202530405060
Derived — the supervisory pressure range the valve manufacturer publishes for the selected valve, system type, and release actuation, set at the value within that range that the low-pressure setpoint and the air maintenance device require (by default)
NOTE A pre-action valve is not held closed by the supervisory gas, so the pressure is chosen for supervision rather than for a differential: high enough that the low-pressure switch has a margin to operate above the pressure a slow leak settles at, and low enough that an open sprinkler bleeds the system to the setpoint quickly. Every psi above what the margin needs is a psi that delays the low-pressure signal on a double-interlock system, and the delay is added to the water delivery time. (8.2.2)
8.2.3 The low-pressure supervisory switch setpoint of each pre-action system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Low-Pressure Supervisory Setpointrange
psi
35710152025304050
Derived — the supervisory gas pressure and the low-pressure setpoint the valve manufacturer publishes for the selected valve and system type, set below the normal pressure by the margin the manufacturer publishes (by default)
8.2.4 The supervisory pressure shall not be raised above the datasheet value to compensate for leakage.
8.2.5 The air supply shall restore a pre-action system from atmospheric pressure to its normal supervisory pressure within the time indicated in the datasheet.
Air Supply Restoration Timerange
minutes
10152030
NOTE NFPA 13 requires the automatic supply to restore normal pressure within 30 minutes, and the air maintenance device limits the fill rate so that a leak large enough to operate the low-pressure switch is not masked by a supply that keeps up with it. A shorter time returns the system to service sooner after a test, at the cost of a larger compressor and no faster fill on a system that leaks. (8.2.6)
8.2.7 The compressor or the feed compressor of a nitrogen generator shall draw its intake from the heated valve enclosure or from another heated interior space, and where any part of the pre-action piping serves a space held at or below 32°F the supervisory gas shall be dried to a pressure dew point below the lowest temperature of that space.

8.3 Nitrogen Supply

8.3.1 Requirements in this article apply where the supervisory gas is nitrogen.
8.3.2 The nitrogen purity maintained in the system shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet, measured at the remote end of the system.
Nitrogen Purity at the Systemrange
%
959899
NOTE The corrosion credit NFPA 13 and FM Global Data Sheet 2-1 give a nitrogen-supervised system rests on the oxygen concentration being held low enough that the pipe interior does not corrode at a rate that matters, and 98 percent nitrogen is the purity those documents describe. A higher purity costs generator capacity and purge time and buys a smaller further reduction in oxygen. (8.3.3)
8.3.4 Each nitrogen-supervised system shall be provided with a purge provision at its remote end, and the system shall be purged after the air leakage test and after every subsequent release, trip test, or drain-down until the purity at the remote end reaches the datasheet value, and the purity shall be recorded.
8.3.5 Where nitrogen is the supervisory gas, the low-pressure supervisory switch, the relief valve, the air maintenance device, and the gauges shall be as required for air under this standard.

8.4 Supervisory Signals

8.4.1 Each pre-action system shall be provided with a listed low-pressure supervisory switch that transmits a supervisory signal to the releasing control unit and to the building fire alarm system when the supervisory gas pressure falls to the setpoint, in accordance with NFPA 72 and Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems.
8.4.2 The piping of a pre-action system with more than 20 sprinklers, and the detection devices of every pre-action and deluge system, shall be automatically supervised, in accordance with NFPA 13.
8.4.3 The additional supervisory signals provided for each system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Additional Supervisory Signalscheckbox
☐ High supervisory gas pressure
☐ Valve enclosure low temperature
☐ Air compressor fault or excessive run time
☐ Nitrogen generator trouble or low purity
☐ Priming water level low
☐ Pilot line low pressure
8.4.4 Each supervisory signal shall be received at the building fire alarm system as a distinct supervisory point identified with the system it belongs to, in accordance with Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems.
NOTE A high-pressure signal reports a failed regulator or a stuck air maintenance device, which delays the low-pressure signal a double-interlock release waits for; a run-time signal reports a leak by the compressor working to keep up with it; a low-temperature signal at the valve enclosure reports the heating failure that freezes the priming line before the valve fails; and a priming level signal reports a diaphragm chamber that has lost the water that holds the valve closed. (8.4.5)

9 Water Delivery Time and System Volume

9.1 The volume of each double-interlock pre-action system shall be calculated from the working drawings and stated in the action submittal.
9.2 Water shall reach the inspector's test connection at the most remote point of each double-interlock pre-action system within the time indicated in the datasheet, measured from the operation of the initiating device that completes the interlock with the system at its normal supervisory pressure.
Water Delivery Time Limitrange
s
1540455060
Derived — the hazard classification selected for the protected area under the sprinkler family standard and the calculated system volume, applied to the water delivery provisions NFPA 13 extends from dry-pipe systems to double-interlock pre-action systems (by default)
NOTE NFPA 13 applies the dry-pipe water delivery provisions to a double-interlock system because water is not in the pipe when the first sprinkler opens: the small-system exemption, the delivery table by hazard, and the calculation and test for a larger system all apply as they apply to a dry-pipe system. A non-interlock or single-interlock system fills on detection and has no delivery time requirement; a deluge system has no closed sprinklers to wait for and its delivery is proven by the time to water at the most remote device in the trip test. (9.3)
9.4 Where the volume of a double-interlock system exceeds the exemption NFPA 13 provides, the delivery time shall be demonstrated by a calculation using a method acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction, and the calculation shall assume the supervisory pressure the system will actually be held at and the time the releasing logic takes to operate the valve.
NOTE The delivery time of a double-interlock system includes the time for the open sprinkler to bleed the supervisory gas to the low-pressure setpoint and the time for the releasing control unit to act on the signal, neither of which exists on a dry-pipe system, and a calculation that starts its clock at the valve rather than at the sprinkler understates the time the test will measure. (9.5)
9.6 Where the calculated delivery time of a double-interlock system exceeds the datasheet limit, the system shall be subdivided, the supervisory pressure shall be lowered within the manufacturer's range, or a listed quick-opening device shall be provided where the valve listing permits one, until the limit is met.
9.7 The calculated delivery time shall be confirmed by the trip test required under Testing, and the tested time shall govern acceptance.

10 Deluge Discharge Devices and Zones

10.1 Requirements in this section apply to deluge systems.
10.2 The open discharge devices on each deluge system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Deluge Discharge Devicesselect
Open standard spray sprinklers
Open extended coverage sprinklers
Open directional spray nozzles
Open window sprinklers for a water curtain
NOTE An open sprinkler is a listed sprinkler with its operating element removed and discharges the pattern its deflector produces at the spacing NFPA 13 sets for that sprinkler type; a directional spray nozzle discharges a listed cone or fan at the angle and distance its listing states, and is aimed at a surface rather than spread over an area; and a window sprinkler wets a glazed or exposed surface as a curtain. The hazard decides which: a floor area takes sprinklers, a piece of equipment takes nozzles aimed at it, and an exposure takes a curtain. (10.3)
10.4 Open sprinklers shall be spaced, positioned, and cleared of obstructions in accordance with NFPA 13 for the sprinkler type, the hazard classification, and the ceiling construction, as though they were closed sprinklers of the same type.
10.5 Directional spray nozzles shall be selected, oriented, and spaced in accordance with their listing and, where the design is a water spray design, in accordance with NFPA 15, and the orientation and aiming point of each nozzle shall be as indicated on the deluge zone layout.
10.6 The type, orifice, and orientation of the discharge device at each location shall be as indicated on the deluge zone layout.
10.7 The extent of each deluge zone shall be as indicated on the fire protection riser diagram.
10.8 The hydraulic design of each deluge zone shall cover every discharge device on the zone at the design density, with no remote area, in accordance with NFPA 13.
10.9 The number of deluge zones assumed to operate simultaneously in the hydraulic design shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Deluge Zones Operating Simultaneouslyrange
zones
1234
Per drawings — the fire protection riser diagram (deferred by default)
NOTE A fire that crosses a zone boundary opens the adjacent zone, and a hangar or a conveyor is zoned so that the water supply carries the zones a fire can reach together; NFPA 409 and the hazard-specific standards state the adjacent-zone assumption where one applies, and the water supply and fire pump are sized under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems and Fire PumpsFire PumpsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-pumps for the zones the datasheet assumes. (10.10)
10.11 Where a hazard-specific standard, including NFPA 409 for an aircraft hangar, governs the deluge design, its zoning, density, and simultaneous-operation provisions shall govern over the datasheet value.
10.12 Deluge piping shall be arranged to drain completely to the main drain or to auxiliary drains after every operation and test.
10.13 Open discharge devices shall be provided with a strainer at the valve where the listing or NFPA 13 requires one for the orifice size installed, and each nozzle with an orifice smaller than the listing's unstrained minimum shall be individually strained.
NOTE An open nozzle is not opened by heat, so it is not flushed by a fire; the scale that a hydrostatic test moves down the pipe arrives at a small nozzle orifice and stays there, and the strainer at the valve is what keeps the first trip test from discharging a plug into the nozzle. (10.14)

11 Sprinklers and Piping Downstream of the Valve

11.1 Sprinklers on pre-action piping shall be of the types NFPA 13 permits on a pre-action system, and a standard pendent sprinkler shall be installed on pre-action piping only where NFPA 13 permits it for the system type and where the sprinkler and the branch line serving it are in heated space.
11.2 The sprinkler type, orifice, temperature rating, thermal response, and finish for each area shall be as selected under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
11.3 Where a heat detector precedes the sprinklers under Releasing Detection, the sprinkler temperature rating selected under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems shall be higher than the detector rating.
11.4 The barrel length of each dry pendent and dry sidewall sprinkler shall be as indicated on the sprinkler schedule.
11.5 Pre-action piping shall be pipe, fittings, and joints selected under Fire Protection PipingFire Protection Piping and SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-protection-piping for dry service, assembled for gas-tightness as well as water-tightness, with the interior corrosion protection selected under Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsDry-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/dry-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems.
11.6 A gridded pipe arrangement shall not be used on a pre-action or deluge system, which NFPA 13 prohibits.
11.7 Pipe on a deluge system shall be selected under Fire Protection PipingFire Protection Piping and SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-protection-piping for service that is open to atmosphere and wetted at every operation, and its interior corrosion protection shall be selected under Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsDry-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/dry-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems as for air-supervised dry piping.
NOTE Deluge piping cannot be nitrogen-supervised because it is open at every nozzle, so the corrosion options available to it are the pipe interior itself and complete drainage after every wetting. (11.8)

12 Waterflow Alarm

12.1 The waterflow alarm for each pre-action or deluge system shall be initiated by a listed alarm pressure switch connected to the alarm outlet of the valve, and the switch shall transmit a waterflow signal to the building fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72 and Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems.
12.2 Vane-type waterflow switches shall not be installed in pre-action or deluge piping.
NOTE The pressure switch on the alarm outlet sees supply pressure the moment the valve opens, so the waterflow alarm is transmitted when water enters the piping rather than when it reaches a sprinkler, and on a pre-action system that fills on detection the alarm follows the detection by the time the valve takes to open. A vane in dry piping is struck by the slug of gas and water the valve drives through it, which NFPA 13 prohibits because the vane and the alarm both fail under it. (12.3)
12.4 Where a water motor alarm is selected under the alarm policy of Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, the alarm line from the valve to the gong shall be arranged to drain and shall not hold water in unheated space.

13 Installation

13.1 Pre-action and deluge piping shall be installed to the pitch, drainage, and auxiliary drain arrangement reviewed under Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsDry-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/dry-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, and a deviation that creates a trapped section shall be reported to the Engineer of Record before the section is hung.
13.2 Open ends of pre-action and deluge piping shall be capped whenever work stops, and the piping shall be kept free of cutting debris, thread chips, and construction material until it is closed.
NOTE The trim of a pre-action or deluge valve, the releasing solenoid, and the air maintenance device pass gas and water through small orifices that a chip of pipe scale can close, and an open nozzle on a deluge system is an orifice with nothing to protect it; the first trip after construction is when the debris that entered during construction arrives at those orifices. (13.3)
13.4 After the hydrostatic test required under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, the piping shall be drained at the main drain and at every auxiliary drain before a pre-action system is placed under supervisory gas or a deluge system is placed in service, and each auxiliary drain shall be operated and confirmed clear as part of that drain-down.
13.5 Open discharge devices on a deluge system shall be installed after the piping has been flushed under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems, and shall be protected from paint, overspray, and debris until the finish trades have completed work in the area.
13.6 The valve shall be installed with its trim oriented as the listing requires and with the gauges, the priming connection, the releasing solenoid, the manual emergency release, and the chamber drain reachable from the floor of the valve enclosure.
13.7 Detection devices shall be installed at the locations and spacing of the reviewed detection layout, and a detector relocated to clear another trade's work shall be relocated within its listed spacing and reported on the as-built layout.
13.8 The releasing circuits, the initiating device circuits, and the pilot lines shall be installed by the trade responsible for the releasing side of the system under Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-alarm-systems, and the sprinkler Contractor shall provide that trade with the location and type of every solenoid, supervisory switch, and alarm switch before the releasing circuits are routed.
13.9 Pilot lines shall be installed with the pitch, the supports, and the protection against mechanical damage and freezing that the valve manufacturer's listing requires, and shall be routed as indicated on the fire protection plans.

14 Testing

14.1 Air Leakage Test

14.1.1 In addition to the hydrostatic test, each pre-action system shall be tested with air or nitrogen at 40 psi for 24 hours, and the pressure loss over the 24 hours shall not exceed 1.5 psi, in accordance with NFPA 13.
14.1.2 The pressure and the ambient temperature at the piping shall be recorded at the start and at the end of the 24 hours, and a pressure change consistent with the temperature change shall not be counted as leakage.
NOTE A pre-action system leaks gas through joints that held water, and a joint that leaks gas on a double-interlock system is a joint that lowers the supervisory pressure toward the interlock setpoint without an open sprinkler. The 24-hour test is the one that finds the joints the compressor would otherwise spend its life keeping up with. (14.1.3)
14.1.4 Leaks shall be located with a leak-detection solution or an ultrasonic detector, and the joint shall be remade rather than sealed from the outside.
14.1.5 A system that fails the air leakage test shall be retested in full after the repair, and the cost of the repair and of every retest shall be borne by the Contractor.

14.2 Trip Test

14.2.1 Each pre-action or deluge valve shall be trip tested at acceptance by the method indicated in the datasheet, with the control valve open as the method requires, the system at its normal supervisory pressure where it is gas-supervised, and the release initiated by operating the detection devices that satisfy the initiating logic.
Acceptance Trip Test Methodradio
● Full-flow trip test, water flowed to the inspector's test connection or from every open device
○ Full-flow trip test, discharge diverted through a test header
○ Trip test with the control valve partially open, discharge through the main drain
○ Releasing logic and solenoid operation test without water flow
NOTE NFPA 13 requires a full-flow trip test at acceptance, and the alternatives exist for the property the water would ruin: a test header takes the full flow of a deluge zone to a drain through a valved connection while the nozzles stay dry; a partially open control valve proves the valve trips and the alarm transmits while limiting the water to what the main drain carries; and a test without water flow proves the detection, the logic, and the solenoid on a system whose discharge cannot be accepted even through a drain. Each step away from full flow leaves something unproven, and the record states what. (14.2.2)
14.2.3 A trip test method other than the full-flow test shall be used only where the Engineer of Record has determined that a full-flow discharge would damage the protected property or its contents and the Authority Having Jurisdiction has accepted the method in writing.
14.2.4 Where the method selected does not flow water to the most remote discharge device, the Contractor shall demonstrate by the hydraulic calculation and by a flow through the main drain or the test header that the supply delivers the design flow and pressure at the valve, and the record shall state that the delivery to the devices was not tested.
14.2.5 On a double-interlock system, the trip test shall be initiated by operating the detection and by opening the inspector's test valve to bleed the supervisory pressure to the low-pressure setpoint, and the test shall record the time from each event to the release.
14.2.6 On a double-interlock system, the test shall also confirm that operating the detection alone does not release the valve and that bleeding the supervisory pressure alone does not release the valve.
NOTE The double interlock is proven by what does not happen. A valve that opens on the detection alone is a single-interlock valve in a freezer, and no test that only confirms the release would have found it. (14.2.7)
14.2.8 Where a double-interlock system is subject to the water delivery time requirement, the time to water at the inspector's test connection shall not exceed the datasheet limit.
14.2.9 Where the tested delivery time exceeds the limit, the Contractor shall correct the cause and repeat the test, and the cost of the correction and the retest shall be borne by the Contractor.
14.2.10 The manual emergency release at the valve and each remote manual release station shall be operated as part of the trip test, and the valve shall open on each.
14.2.11 The trip test shall be witnessed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction where the Authority requires it, and the Contractor shall schedule the test with the Authority not less than five working days before it is run.
14.2.12 After the trip test the system shall be drained at the main drain and at every auxiliary drain, the diaphragm chamber or intermediate chamber shall be drained and confirmed clear, the valve shall be reset in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, the priming water shall be restored where the listing requires it, and a pre-action system shall be restored to its normal supervisory pressure and, where nitrogen is the supervisory gas, purged to the datasheet purity.

14.3 Releasing Sequence Tests

14.3.1 Every row of the releasing matrix shall be tested by producing its initiating condition, and the operation or non-operation of every output the row assigns shall be recorded against the matrix.
14.3.2 Each detection device shall be tested by the method NFPA 72 assigns to its type, and the receipt of its signal at the releasing control unit and the alarm at the building fire alarm system shall be recorded.
14.3.3 Where cross-zoned or two-detector logic is selected, the test shall confirm that a single detection produces the alarm and the detection-stage functions without a release, and that the second detection produces the release.
14.3.4 Where a release delay is provided, the delay shall be timed from the satisfied logic to the releasing output and shall match the datasheet value, and the pre-discharge alarm shall be confirmed to sound for the delay.
14.3.5 Where an abort function is provided, the test shall confirm that the abort holds the release only while held operated, and that the manual emergency release and the remote manual release station open the valve with the abort held.
14.3.6 Each auxiliary function shall be tested by producing the stage that operates it and confirming the operation of the device or system it controls, with the trade responsible for that system present.
14.3.7 The releasing circuit supervision shall be tested by opening the circuit at the solenoid and confirming the trouble signal at the releasing control unit and at the building fire alarm system, and the supervised disconnect shall be tested by operating it.
14.3.8 The secondary power of the releasing control unit shall be tested by disconnecting the primary supply and operating a release on secondary power.

14.4 Supervisory Device Tests

14.4.1 The alarm pressure switch shall be tested during the trip test by confirming that the building fire alarm system received the waterflow signal, and the time from the valve opening to the signal shall be recorded.
14.4.2 The low-pressure supervisory switch of each pre-action system shall be tested by bleeding gas from the system at the inspector's test connection until the switch operates, and the pressure at which it operated shall be recorded and compared with the datasheet setpoint.
14.4.3 Each additional supervisory signal indicated in the datasheet shall be tested by producing its condition, and the receipt of each signal at the building fire alarm system shall be recorded.
14.4.4 The air supply of each pre-action system shall be tested by depressurizing the system to atmosphere and timing the restoration to normal supervisory pressure, and the time shall not exceed the datasheet restoration time.

15 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

15.1 The releasing control unit, the detection devices, and the releasing solenoids shall be delivered in their original packaging and stored indoors in a conditioned space, protected from dust, moisture, and impact, until the space they serve is ready to receive them.
15.2 Open discharge devices for a deluge system shall be stored in their original packaging with the orifice protected, and a device whose orifice or deflector has been struck or fouled shall not be installed.
15.3 Sprinklers, pipe, fittings, valves, and the supervisory gas equipment shall be delivered, stored, and handled under Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsWet-Pipe Fire Sprinkler SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems and Fire Protection PipingFire Protection Piping and SpecialtiesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fire-protection-piping.

16 Spare Parts

16.1 The Contractor shall deliver the spare parts indicated in the datasheet to the Owner before the system is accepted, and shall obtain a signed receipt for them.
Pre-Action and Deluge Spare Parts to Be Furnishedcheckbox
☐ Releasing solenoid of each type installed
☐ Valve diaphragm or clapper seat kit for each valve model installed
☐ Detectors of each type installed
☐ Open sprinklers or nozzles of each type installed on a deluge system
☐ Air compressor intake filter element
☐ Nitrogen generator filter elements for one service interval
16.2 Spare parts shall be the same make and model as the installed items, delivered in their original packaging, and labeled with the system they serve.
NOTE A failed solenoid or a failed detector on a released zone impairs the whole system until it is replaced, and the parts that keep a releasing system in service are the ones a local supply house is least likely to stock. (16.3)