MECHANICAL CONTRACTING — PRODUCT APPLICATION
TYCO Pathfinder CPVC fittings detect sprinkler system dry-fits
installation services for a 116,000- square-foot building, so Buffalo, N.Y.-based Clover Construction tapped the Davis-Ulmer Fire Sprinkler Company. A leading fire protection and alarm firm in New York state, Davis-Ulmer demonstrated its expertise for the Buckley Square Apartments in Salina, N.Y. Construction started on the
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suburban-Syracuse senior living facility in late fall of 2010. Because the building is so large, its construction required nine phases. The construction schedule dictated that the sprinkler
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t takes a skilled contractor to deliver quality residential fire sprinkler system design and
TYCO introduced Davis-Ulmer to
its new PATHFINDER CPVC Fittings, designed specifically to help installers quickly and efficiently identify dry-fits using a low-pressure air test. “There are many instances where
you’d rather test with air than with water,” said Don Ricca, residential product manager at TYCO. “Just like the Buckley Square Apartments project, sometimes jobsites don’t have water available. Sometimes it’s very cold outside, and you can get into freezing situations. It’s very beneficial to be able to test with air.” Hildreth explained that after
analyzing the conditions specific to the Buckley Square Apartments
contractors to use a low-pressure air test to quickly and efficiently locate dry-fits.” The first step in a low-pressure air
test is to apply 15 psi of air to the system. The system must hold that air pressure for a minimum of 15 minutes. “The key to PATHFINDER
technology is two-fold. First, any drop in air pressure is your signal that you may have a dry fit,” Ricca said. “Second, each PATHFINDER Fitting includes a small, grooved channel designed to allow air to escape when there is no solvent cement applied to the fitting. The ‘hissing’ sound that results from air escaping through the channel is how you identify the exact location of the dry-fit.” If a dry-fit is identified during the
low-air-pressure test, the system must first be depressurized. The dry-fit is removed and a solvent cement weld is applied to the new joint. After the solvent-cement weld is given the proper time to cure, the system must be tested again with low-pressure air to ensure that no other dry-fits are present.
Salina Deputy Fire Marshal Jason
TYCO’s PATHFINDER CPVC Fittings have been designed specifically to help installers quickly and efficiently identify dry-fits using a low-pressure air test.
system, designed to NFPA 13R standards with more than 28,000 feet of one-inch CPVC pipe and 1,500 one-inch fittings, be installed – and tested – in phases along with the rest of the building.
PATHFINDER Fittings Provide a Solution Nine months before construction
started, Davis-Ulmer asked Tyco Fire Protection Products (TYCO), a world leader in fire suppression technology, to help with solutions for installing and testing the system in concert with the construction schedule. Both companies quickly realized that freezing temperatures and a lack of on-site water would create challenges to testing the fire suppression system in phases, specifically when it came to identifying any improperly cemented joints, also called “dry-fits,” that might exist in the system.
project against the benefits of the new TYCO product, making the choice to use PATHFINDER Fittings was simple. “We’ve been installing CPVC
systems for numerous years, and Davis-Ulmer has a successful history with TYCO,” said Hildreth. “We chose to exclusively use PATHFINDER Fittings because we were able to conduct air testing in phases, which allowed the owner and other contractors to build in stages. These phased air tests allowed the other contractors on the jobsite to progress with the finishes in the front while still doing framing on the back.
PATHFINDER Fittings Identify Dry Fits “We know that sprinkler installers
have their own methods for identifying dry-fits; PATHFINDER standardizes that process,” said Ricca. “PATHFINDER technology allows
Perkins, the building official charged with final sign-off of the system, observed a low-pressure air test and PATHFINDER Fittings in action. “I’m confident in the test because it is UL approved. It’s part of the manufacturer’s specifications that they’re required to do the testing,” said Perkins. “What I like about PATHFINDER technology is the assurance that it gives me that there will not be any dry-fits in the system.”
PATHFINDER Fittings Obtain Davis-Ulmer’s Approval Hildreth said Davis-Ulmer will
continue to use PATHFINDER Fittings in future projects. “Now that we have a comfort level
with PATHFINDER Fittings, we’ll use them in more applications going forward because of the benefits of using air prior to water,” Hildreth said. “The owner and the end users gain reassurance that they’re not going to have problems during final testing.” “Contractors who make the choice
to use PATHFINDER Fittings will quickly see how the technology improves their ability to deliver quality, dry-fit-free installations.” For more info visit
www.tycofsbp.com. l
phc october 2011
www.phcnews.com
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