6.1.2 Protection of Aboveground Piping.

6.1.2.1* Standpipe system piping shall be protected from mechanical damage.

6.1.2.2 Feed mains, standpipes, horizontal standpipes, and branch lines supplied by standpipes shall be located in enclosed exit stairways or shall be protected by a degree of fire resistance equal to that required for enclosed exit stairways in the building in which they are located.

6.1.2.2.1 In buildings equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system, feed mains and branch lines supplying 21⁄2 in. (65 mm) hose connections shall not be required to be protected.

6.1.2.2.2 Piping connecting standpipes to 11⁄2 in. (40 mm) hose connections shall not be required to be protected.

6.1.2.2.3 Where exit stairways are not required to be enclosed in fire-rated construction, standpipe systems shall be permitted to be installed without the fire resistance required by 6.1.2.2.

6.1.2.3 Where standpipe system piping that is normally filled with water passes through an area subject to freezing temperatures, it shall be protected to maintain the temperature of the water in the piping between 40°F and 120°F (4.4°C and 48.9°C).

6.1.2.3.1 Antifreeze solutions shall not be used to protect standpipe system piping from freezing.

6.1.2.3.2 Listed heat tracing shall be permitted to be used for protection from freezing, provided that it is installed and insulated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

6.1.2.4 Where corrosive conditions exist or piping is exposed to the weather, corrosion-resistant types of pipe, tube, fittings, and hangers or protective corrosion-resistive coatings shall be used.

6.1.2.5 Where standpipe systems are required to be protected against damage from earthquakes, standpipe systems shall be protected in accordance with NFPA13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.

6.2 Underground Piping. Underground piping shall be in accordance with NFPA 24, Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances.

6.3 Gate Valves and Check Valves.

6.3.1 Connection to Water Supply.

6.3.1.1 Connections to each water supply shall be provided with an approved indicating-type valve and check valve located close to the supply, such as at tanks, pumps, and connections from waterworks systems.

6.3.1.2 Fire department connections shall not be provided with isolation valves.

6.3.2 Valves shall be provided to allow isolation of a standpipe without interrupting the supply to other standpipes from the same source of supply.

6.3.3 Listed indicating-type valves shall be provided at the standpipe for controlling branch lines for remote hose stations.

6.3.4 Where wafer-type valve discs are used, they shall be installedso that they do not interfere with the operation of other system components.

6.3.5* Control Valves and Check Valves on Combined (Standpipe/Sprinkler) Systems.

6.3.5.1 Each connection from a standpipe that is part of a combined system to a sprinkler system shall have an individual control valve and check valve of the same size as the connection.

6.3.5.2 Alisted pressure-regulating device that prevents backflow shall be considered a check valve, and an additional check valve shall not be required.

6.3.6 Valves on Connections to Water Supplies.

6.3.6.1 General.

6.3.6.1.1* Each water supply, other than the fire department connection, shall be provided with a listed indicating valve in an approved location.

6.3.6.1.2 Valves on fire department connections shall be in accordance with Section 6.3.

6.3.6.1.2.1 All valves shall be plainly marked to indicate the service that they control.

6.3.6.1.2.2 Where the valve cannot be located at least 40 ft (12.2 m) from the building, it shall be installed in an approved location and where it is readily accessible in case of fire and not subject to damage.

6.3.6.1.2.3 Wall post indicator valves shall be permitted where approved by the AHJ.

6.3.6.1.3 Where post-indicator valves cannot be used, underground valves shall be permitted.

6.3.6.1.3.1 The valve locations, directions for their opening, and services that they control shall be plainly marked on the buildings served.

6.3.6.2* Where the standpipes are supplied from a yard main or header in another building, the connection shall be provided with a listed indicating-type valve located outside at a safe distance from the building or at the header.

6.3.7 Valve Supervision.

6.3.7.1 System water supply valves, isolation control valves, and other valves in feed mains shall be supervised in an approved manner in the open position by one of the following methods:
(1) A central station, proprietary, or remote station signaling service
(2) Alocal signaling service that initiates an audible signal at a constantly attended location
(3) Locking of valves in the open position
(4) Sealing of valves and an approved weekly recorded inspection where valves are located within fenced enclosures under the control of the owner

6.3.7.2 Underground gate valves with roadway boxes shall not be required to be supervised.

6.3.7.3 The bypass valves required in Section 7.2.4(4) shall be supervised in the closed position.

6.3.7.3.1 Supervision of these valves shall be in accordance with 6.3.7.1(1) or 6.3.7.1(2).

6.3.8 Signs for Room Identification, Valves, and Hose Connections.

6.3.8.1 All main and sectional system control valves, including water supply control valves, shall have a sign indicating the portion of the system that is controlled by the valve.

6.3.8.2 All control, drain, and test connection valves shall be provided with signs indicating their purpose.

6.3.8.3 Where sprinkler system piping supplied by a combined system is supplied by more than one standpipe (“loop” or “dual feed” design), a sign shall be located at each dual or multiple feed connection to the combination system standpipe to indicate that in order to isolate the sprinkler system served by the control valve, an additional control valve or valves at other standpipes shall be shut off.

6.3.8.3.1 The sign also shall identify the location of the additional control valves.

6.3.8.4 Where a main or sectional system control valve is located in a closed room or concealed space, the location of the valve shall be indicated by a sign in an approved location on the outside of the door or near the opening to the concealed space.

6.3.8.5* Where hose connections are not located in exit stairways, signs shall be provided in accordance with NFPA 170, Standard for Fire Safety and Emergency Symbols, to identify the location of the hose connection in an approved manner.

6.3.8.5.1 Valve cabinets, where provided, shall be marked to indicate the contents.

6.3.8.5.2 Letters shall be red with a white background and shall be 21⁄2 in. (65 mm) in height.

6.4* Fire Department Connections.

6.4.1 Except for the valve required by 6.3.2, shutoff valves shall not be installed between the fire department connection and the system.

6.4.2 Alisted check valve shall be installed in each fire department connection and located as near as practicable to the point where it joins the system.

6.4.3 The fire department connection shall be installed as follows:
(1) Automatic Wet and Manual Wet Standpipe Systems. On the system side of the system control valve, check valve, or any pump, but on the supply side of any isolating valves required in 6.3.2
(2) Automatic Dry Standpipe Systems. On the system side of the control valve and check valve and the supply side of the dry pipe valve
(3) Semiautomatic Dry Standpipe Systems. On the system side of the deluge valve
(4) Manual Dry Standpipe Systems. Directly connected to system piping

6.4.3.1 Fire department connections shall not be connected on the suction side of fire pumps. [13:8.17.2.4.8]

6.4.4 In areas subject to freezing, a listed automatic drip valve that is arranged to allow drainage without causing water damage shall be installed in the piping between the check valve and the fire department connection.

6.4.5 Location and Identification.

6.4.5.1 Fire department connections shall be visible and recognizable from the street or nearest point of fire department apparatus accessibility or on the street side of buildings.

6.4.5.1.1 Fire department connections shall be located and arranged so that hose lines can be attached to the inlets without interference from nearby objects, including buildings, fences, posts, landscaping, vehicles, or other fire department connections.

6.4.5.2 Each fire department connection shall be designated by a sign, with letters at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) in height, that reads “STANDPIPE.” For manual systems, the sign shall also indicate that the system is manual and that it is either wet or dry.

6.4.5.2.1 If automatic sprinklers are also supplied by the fire department connection, the sign or combination of signs shall indicate both designated services (e.g., “STANDPIPE AND AUTOSPKR,” or “AUTOSPKR AND STANDPIPE”).

6.4.5.2.2 A sign also shall indicate the pressure required at the inlets to deliver the system demand.

6.4.5.3 Where a fire department connection services multiple buildings, structures, or locations, a sign shall be provided indicating the buildings, structures, or locations served.

6.4.5.4* Fire department connections shall be located not more than 100 ft (30.5 m) from the nearest fire hydrant connected to an approved water supply.

6.4.5.4.1 The location of the fire department connection shall be permitted to exceed 100 ft (30.5 m) subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction.

6.4.6 Fire department connections shall be located not less than 18 in. (457 mm) nor more than 48 in. (1219 mm) above the level of the adjoining ground, sidewalk, or grade surface.

6.4.7 Fire department connection piping shall be supported in accordance with Section 6.5.

6.5 Support of Piping. System piping shall be in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.

6.6 Installation of Signs. Signs shall be secured to a device or the building wall with corrosion-resistant chains or fasteners.

6.7 Signs for Water Supply Pumps. Where a fire pump is provided, a sign shall be located in the vicinity of the pump indicating the minimum pressure and flow required at the pump discharge flange to meet the system demand.

6.8* Hydraulic Design Information Sign.

6.8.1 The installing contractor shall provide a sign identifying the basis of the system design as either hydraulic calculations or pipe schedule.

6.8.2 The sign shall be located at the water supply control valve for automatic or semiautomatic standpipe systems and at an approved location for manual systems.

6.8.3 The sign shall indicate the following:
(1) Location of the two hydraulically most remote hose connections
(2) Design flow rate for the connections identified in 6.8.3(1)
(3) Design residual inlet and outlet pressures for the connections identified in 6.8.3(1)
(4) Design static pressure and the design system demand (i.e., flow and residual pressure) at the system control valve, or at the pump discharge flange where a pump is installed, and at each fire department connection