As you would have noticed within the industry, there is a growing demand to retrofit fire sprinklers in residential buildings. The most vulnerable people in our society, such as the elderly, need protecting as their illness or lack of mobility may hamper their ability to escape in an emergency.
Research from the American National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has found that only 55% of nursing home fires had sprinklers present. Properties with wet pipe sprinklers suffered 61% lower direct property damage as a result, compared to properties with no automatic extinguishing equipment.
The case for retrofit fire protection systems has been clearly justified, but sometimes the complexities of installing a steel system can mean projects become expensive, lengthy and involve a significant disruption of the residents.
CPVC, a steel alternative
BlazeMaster® CPVC fire protection systems can offer significant benefits compared to steel, which will allow you to work on more projects than ever before. Here are just some of the benefits:
Quicker to install
Due to CPVC fire sprinkler pipes being installed with a cut & join method, installations are quicker. The time required to complete a 40-bed care home retrofit project, for example, can be reduced by more than 50% compared to steel (screwed installation). The solvent cement joining system used to install a CPVC fire protection system offers other major advantages as well. It’s fast, quiet, clean and simple, requiring only simple hand tools and eliminating the need for heavy equipment, oils and welding torches that can create fire risks. Additionally, it can be joined without the requirement of electricity. Yet, it’s highly reliable, creating a permanent chemical bond that is actually stronger than the pipe or fitting alone.
Less costly to install
As installation time is more than halved, the cost of installation will, of course, reduce too. The installation time for the 40-bed care home retrofit project is 640 hours with CPVC, compared to 1,323 hours with steel.
BlazeMaster CPVC material costs are often also more competitive than steel and not as prone to the raw material pricing fluctuations that affect steel. Additional savings can be recognised with the ability to downsize pipe sizes. Since CPVC offers superior hydraulics over steel throughout the life of the system, smaller pipe can often be specified to achieve the same flow rate.
Less disruption
The material, which is UL Listed for Light Hazard applications as defined in BS 9251 and BS EN 12845, is lightweight, yet strong—often weighing only one-sixth that of a comparable steel pipe. That makes it easier to move on the job site and even allows for sidewall installations, when appropriate.
With no pre-fabrications required or heavy machinery to carry out pipe cutting projects, it means noise levels are kept to a minimum, and the property can remain operational during installation too.
No corrosion
CPVC will never corrode and is immune to Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC). That helps to ensure the long-term reliability of the system and results in significant cost savings since BlazeMaster piping systems will not fail (nor need to be replaced) prematurely as the result of corrosion, a common cause of steel system failures. CPVC sprinkler pipe, in fact, is designed for a 50+ year service life with a safety factor of two per ASTM test criteria.
More sustainable
Sustainability is yet another area receiving more focus in our environmentally conscious society. Again, CPVC receives high marks as evidenced by an ISO-compliant, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) commissioned by Lubrizol and conducted on BlazeMaster CPVC fire sprinkler pipe and fittings. The LCA proved that the BlazeMaster pipe and fittings outperform comparative steel systems in 12 of 13 environmental impact categories. Most notable is the fact that BlazeMaster CPVC systems have half the climate change impact as steel systems.
Completing retrofit systems
Fire sprinkler retrofits are a necessity, especially amongst the vulnerable in our communities. Fortunately, CPVC provides a reliable, convenient and cost-effective solution for contractors, facility managers and building owners in a large array of light hazard applications.
Remember, not all orange pipe is the same, so make sure to install the reliability of a BlazeMaster CPVC Fire Protection System; the most specified non-metallic fire protection system in the world, and has one simple goal - to save lives and property.
