Proposal would require new homes to have sprinklers

A state-appointed advisory panel voted to recommend that one- and two-family homes built after January 2011 have sprinkler systems in them. This recommendation followed a daylong hearing that debated the pros and cons of these systems that could add at least $5,000 to the cost of home construction.
State Fire Commissioner Edward Mann hailed the decision as one that will save the lives of firefighters and residents of the new homes.
The recommendation will be presented to Gov. Ed Rendell, the General Assembly and Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito for consideration in inclusion in the update to the statewide building code. SOURCE
--------------------------

What are your thoughts about this issue? Basiaclly, like public buildings, fire sprinklers would be required in all new homes.

Does this mean if I burn the crap out of something in the oven, which puts off a lot of heat because it doesn't vent outside, my sprinklers will go off? And, if so... would insurance cover it?

__________________
I have learned that stress is caused by saying "no problem" when you really mean "no chance".

I think this is just for new dwelling construction. Some municipalities already have this in their ordinance, I know one development that was built about 2 years ago in york county had sprinklers in all the houses.

It would have to be very hot, the lowest temp sprinkler made is 155F to pop. That is 155 degrees AT the element.

Sprinlker systems aren't like what you see in the movies when you just put a lighter on for a second and the whole place floods....depending on the system only the heads that get hot enough open, the rest stay closed.

(Chase used to design and install fire sprinkler systems for residential and commercial applications )


O and im kind of on the fence about this law, let me think about it.

__________________
Philly Sports
Delaware Online
Netbook Forums
Delaware Weight Loss
Still Lurking? Sign up now!! CLICK HERE

Why are you on the fence? What has you on the fence?

Cost of ownership and maintenance vs. the real protection value in a residential system.

There are lots of pros and cons, ill post more later...

Thanks, Chase. I would hate to put up a new house and have to have sprinklers only to have them go off everytime I have a get-together, get distracted and have things go nuts...

I think they can be a good idea but there also is the wet/dry system where if you do the system installed & have a fire the fire company just hooks up to the connextion & activates the sprinkler system. But with technology improving they might beable to compartmentalize the dry system so they dont flood the entire house. But I think Chase
would be the man to answer most of those questions.

__________________
"Out of the crooked timber of humanity, nothing entirely straight can be built." -Immanuel Kent

Well most all systems you see in your average office or home are "dry" systems. there is no water in the piping, this helps prevent corrosion and weight of the system on the building steel.

What happens is in the riser where the fire water comes in the bldg is a "dry valve" it is set to closed and the water is pressurized under it. then there is a small riser mounted air compressor that keeps the whole system above the valve pressurized. this is what keeps the valve seat closed. when a head pops the system immediately loses pressure, the valve seat opens, and water rushes to the open head and sprays out.

in delaware they test new systems, with the fire marshall. to pass the test you trip the dry valve, with a open head farthest away in the building and water has to be there in less then 1 minute. I have done/seen many of these test. this brings up another possible problem with this law, water pressure. sometimes it was very hard for us to design a system to psas inspection on city water pressure. if you can't, you are looking at putting in VERY expensive water pumps and what not.

that is a single interlock system, a double interlock (not legal in many applications and states) is where you have all that above, but also you have electrical smoke detectors and what not that have to trip as well for the valve to release.


also, most all commercial applications use steel pipe, most residential is done in a specialized version of cpvc that is fire resistant to a certain degree. it is easy to install the plastic stuff as it bends and is cheaper on labor to fit up.

Builders: New sprinkler law for homes all wet

WILKES-BARRE - Local homebuilders are fired up about a new law requiring sprinkler systems in new townhouses beginning in 2010 and new single-family homes in 2011.

At a breakfast Friday at the Westmoreland Club, members of the Building Industry Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Builders Association told state legislators that adding sprinkler systems to new homes would be a significant cost in the wake of a housing market downturn.

It costs about $8,000 to install a sprinkler system in a 2,000-square-foot home and $15,000 to $20,000 for a home in a rural area where residents don't have public water, said Joe Peterson, owner of Hanover Homes and past president of the BIA. Maintaining a sprinkler system also is costly, he added.

"The biggest thing is it is cost-prohibitive," said Rick Arnold, BIA legislative chairman and owner of R.T. Arnold Building Contractors in Mountaintop.
"Most people looking to build a new home today just don't have unlimited budgets," he said.

Lou Biacchi, director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Builders Association, said legislation is being pursued to prohibit the sprinkler system mandate.

State Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, and Mike Carroll, D-118, Hughestown, both of whom attended the breakfast, agreed that sprinklers are a costly mandate.

"With a single home, it should be a choice," Mr. Pashinski said. "If you have the money and you want to put money into it, that's fine."

Firefighters, who lobbied for requiring the systems in new homes, praised the new law as lifesaving protection.

The builders also said Friday that many people are not getting the $8,000 tax credit being offered to first-time homebuyers because they can't be in their homes by the Nov. 30 deadline.

They asked legislators if the date can be extended and if builders can participate in more programs to receive state and federal funds.

Mr. Carroll responded that it's not the time to be asking for tax credits amid a $3.2 billion budget deficit.

"We're probably going the opposite direction: tax increases," he said.

debate on this issue is heating up

The debate over requiring home sprinklers for newly constructed homes is heating up. The Pennsylvania Builders' Association is suing to prevent enactment of certain new building codes, mandating sprinklers, claiming they could add thousands to the cost of new homes.

Sprinkler advocates reply that, for the cost of a new wooden floor in one room, sprinklers can be included in the building of a new home that would provide the highest level of protection for the dwelling and those living in it.

Michael Drabyk, whose home in Wrightstown, Bucks County, was saved by a home sprinkler system Christmas day says just one "sprinkler head" activating, saved a fire from erupting in his garage and possibly destroying his home.

Drabyk says the sprinkler, along with an alarm triggered by the system, allowed his family to escape safely, and, in the time it took him to dial "911", the blaze was extinguished.

Instead of finding a blazing home, firefighters from the Lingohocken Fire Co. discovered only a small pile of burning debris.

Fire Chief Greg Jakubowsi says Wrightstown began requiring home sprinkler systems in all newly- built homes in 1996,and that the fire Christmas Day is a perfect example of how that policy can save lives and property. source

If they really only will cost ~$8k or so to do in a house with public water, that seems reasonable. 8k when mixed in with the large amount of a home loan to build a new house seems like a drop in the bucket. Reminds me of my friend who bought a brand new car then didn't opt for power locks. He was already spending $14k, may as well just spent the extra $200 and got them heh.

Be nice if you get insurance discounts too. I'm all for safety stuff.

The homebuilders association is so full of themselves they have no ammunition to fight this bill though given they are a big union with deep pockets & have some capitol hill power. yes, there are insurance discounts... No, a sprinkler head is not going to break & spray water all over your house unless of course you have a fire. For those of you that have never had and/or been involved in a house fire, which I have been in both, anyone who fights this bill is rediculous. A sprinkler system is like a police officer, sort of... You hatem' till you need them and if you have children and are against something like this you are a selfish bastard because the kids are the ones the suffer the most! If you don't like what I have to say then dam it stop reading my post. God forbide you spend an extra $7-8K when your buying a brand new home, isn't your family worth it?
OK, I'm done...

I don't think anyone here said anything against your posts. I appreciate your perspective.

Oh I know but it made me feel better though...

Not against your posts.. against it being mandated. I don't have sprinklers - have an older house, have plenty of escape routes, but were I not home, my dog would have no way out - for this reason - if I were to bulldoze my house to the ground and put up, say a log cabin kit (in the plans for the future), then, yes - I would want sprinklers. Losing my puppy because I wanted to go the cheap route would break my heart. I can imagine all too well if it were a child.