I am an electrician in Minnesota. I recently learned that firefighters must shut off power to a building before they hose a buring building down, due to the risk of electrocution. The same risk of electrocution exists when an automatic fire sprinkler system activates. I'm wondering if anyone has ever disconnected power to a building when the sprinkler system kicks in? It would be quite easy (but expensive) to do this by using a shunt-trip main breaker. Any thoughts?
2007-05-07 15:39:06 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I have wired several schools in the Boise area and all are equipped with the sprinkler shunt trip on the incoming main switch gear..It can be real pain in the neck around test time but its not hard to do. In our area the engineers note it on the prints so its bid on the front end of a job. Good Luck
2007-05-07 16:00:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a great safety feature as long as everyone is on the same page. A number of years ago in Toledo Ohio, the Toledo Scale building caught fire and the first thing the fire department did was shut off the gas main. Someone forgot (even during previous safety/fire inspections) to tell them that the fire sprinkler pumps were natural gas fueled. Far as I know, the legal suits are still in court.
2007-05-07 16:30:39 · answer #2 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even in residential, a lot of cities now require a main on the meter base, just for this reason. The fire dept. normally will pull the meter or cut the overhead anytime there is concern. I don't work commercial anymore, just thought I would add that little info.
2007-05-07 16:17:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very good idea should be tied into flow switch on sprinkler it could be zoned by floor if your state code required zoning codes it would idea to send to the NEC. THANKS Pat McNeil dba mcneilelectric.com
2007-05-07 16:41:24 · answer #4 · answered by wirenut33 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋