How to Install a School Fire Protection System with CPVC
When a large school in Hampshire looked to rebuild and expand, fire safety officials had many things to consider in determining the best possible fire protection system. How could they:
- Minimise classroom disruption,
- Find a system flexible enough to accommodate design changes
- Do it all at a reasonable cost?
They decided on the use of BlazeMaster® CPVC fire protection pipes and fittings.
CPVC is becoming more and more the standard, as over 2 billion feet of BlazeMaster CPVC fire protection pipes have now been installed in more than 60 countries worldwide, including the UK.
Read on to find out how the project was carried out, and why you would want to consider installing a CPVC fire protection system into a school.
Make installation simple and cost-effective
Since the Hampshire Council is self-insured, it chose high performing BlazeMaster pipe & fittings over steel, which is more expensive and difficult to work with. The steps to installing CPVC piping are simple:
- Cut the pipe squarely using ratchet cutters, a power saw, or fine-tooth saw.
- Remove burrs or filings and bevel the end of the pipe using a chamfering tool or sharp knife.
- Test fit the pipe. It should make contact with the socket wall one-third of the way into the fitting socket.
- Apply a thick coat of solvent cement around the outer rim of the pipe, then a medium coat in the fitting socket, and, finally, another coat on the pipe again. Insert the pipe into the fitting while rotating to ensure even distribution of the cement.
- Ensure an even layer of cement is visible around the joint. If not, cut out the fitting and discard. Remake the joint with a new fitting.
As demonstrated in our installation video, installers will save time by not having to prefabricate BlazeMaster CPVC pipes and fittings. As a result, projects realise a savings in labour costs.
On installing BlazeMaster CPVC piping at the Hampshire school, Colin Taylor, head of the Oxfordshire office for Domestic Sprinklers, said: “The nice thing about BlazeMaster Pipe & Fittings is that because it is lighter than steel, installing it is a one-man job, meaning that all the engineers on site could get on with their own areas.”
Choose a system flexible to your needs
The school project included several multiple-story buildings, required 913 sprinkler heads, and ran from late 2014 to the summer of 2015.
A more flexible solution is needed when embarking on a large project. Luckily, the simplicity of BlazeMaster CPVC piping’s one-step joining system, along with its light weight, made it easier for the team to meet project deadlines and remain on budget throughout.
“The amount of changes that were forced upon us during the installation would have resulted in very high additional costs if BlazeMaster Piping Systems hadn’t been used,” said Colin Taylor. “We believe it’s the easiest medium to work with and it allows a flexibility to the design.”
Minimise classroom disruption
Much of the work during the Hampshire school project was able to be completed while school was in session, thereby meeting the challenge of ensuring disruptions were kept to a minimum.
BlazeMaster CPVC piping was essential to pulling this off seamlessly. “We used all hand tools and we didn’t need any noisy threading machines,” Taylor said. “It also meant we could start and stop work in certain areas more easily than if we had been using steel.”
Without the need for rented machinery, nor complex heat-fusion techniques, BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems ensures installation is as smooth and quiet as possible.
With the limited available funding in many counties across the UK there is fortunately a way to more affordably address the lack of fire protection systems. Hampshire and other self-insured counties are now turning to BlazeMaster CPVC piping to install the best possible sprinkler systems, protecting their staff and students with cost-effective, high-performance solutions.
Want to look further into the success of the Hampshire school project? We have pulled together a free case study pack to show how CPVC fire sprinkler systems can be used on your next project, as an alternative solution to steel. Remember, not all orange piping delivers the same reliable protection as BlazeMaster CPVC fire sprinkler systems, and when it comes to protecting educational establishments, there is only one CPVC fire sprinkler system you can rely on.