I was in an apartment building today and noticed that a water sprinkler head was directly over a cook top. I thought that was kind of odd considering it mat accidently set off, and the cook top was electric, which really made me wonder. I can seem to find anything in the IRC on sprinkler head placement and if water is allowed in the kitchen. Any thought or info on this.
Do you anticipate the temperature will rise to 165 degrees under normal circumstances in the area of the head?
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The IRC is for residential buildings. You neglected to mention how many units are in the apartment. How many floors is the apartment building?
I’ve never seen a kitchen that didn’t have water in it.
Fire suppression systems are handled by NFPA 13 and you can view this for free here www.nfpa.org.
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I think your concerns are valid if the sprinkler head is directly over the stove. If the sprinkler system is set off accidentally it could cause significant damage to the kitchen cabinets / appliances / flooring.
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seems to me that most likely thing to happen on an electric stove to set it off would be a grease fire. that would be the worst thing that could happen. i’d call it out with that scenario in a report, or at least verbally.
If you are at risk of a grease fire starting on an electric stove… get the hell out of the kitchen and never go near any cooking equipment ever again!!
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You need to try real hard to start a grease fire with a electric stove.
Martin, I honestly did not count floors or units. I was there visiting a friend and not performing an inspection, and it was something that caught my eye and made me wonder.
Are you familiar with what buildings are covered by the IRC? I only ask because you mentioned it.
Even my wife knows if she’s in a building with more than 2 stories.
According to most building codes and the NFPA 13 standard, a fire sprinkler typically needs a minimum clearance of 18 inches between the sprinkler head deflector and any obstruction below it, ensuring unobstructed water spray in case of a fire.
OSHA has the same clearance for implorers. 1910.159(c)(10)
Sprinkler spacing. The employer shall assure that sprinklers are spaced to provide a maximum protection area per sprinkler, a minimum of interference to the discharge pattern by building or structural members or building contents and suitable sensitivity to possible fire hazards. The minimum vertical clearance between sprinklers and material below shall be 18 inches (45.7 cm).
and i suppose you start them in other places? or have you never heard of one? i suppose they aren’t as common as they used to be since folks don’t cook as much. still, it could happen and since it could happen having a water source right over top is not a good idea. unless your obviously supoerior knowledge has a differing opinion…
Timmea isn’t worth the time, other than to identify him as a legit WAFI !!
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well, now that i have that one on ignore, the rest of my time here should be bearable. have a great day all, and remember, water does not mix well with a grease fire. smother it with a blanket.
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