NFPA Journal - Summer 2022 - 57

CODES, STANDARDS
AND COMPLIANCE
means, use photoelectric detection,
or be listed for resistance to common
nuisance sources from cooking if they
are installed 10-20 feet (3-6 meters)
along a horizontal flow path from
cooking equipment. After January
1, 2023, all smoke alarms installed
that same distance along a horizontal
flow path from cooking equipment
will need to be listed for resistance to
common nuisance sources from cooking.
If the 10-foot (3-meter) area of
exclusion would prohibit the installation
of a smoke alarm, then a smoke
alarm can be placed as close as 6 feet
(1.8 meters) from cooking equipment,
if it is either listed for resistance to
common nuisance sources from cooking
or a photoelectric type smoke
alarm.
The reason the requirements do not
permit the use of an ionization-type
smoke alarm near cooking appliances
is that nuisance alarms caused
by cooking activities occur more
frequently with ionization smoke
alarms than with photoelectric smoke
alarms. The smoke alarms listed
for resistance to common nuisance
sources from cooking must be tested
and listed in accordance with the 8th
edition of UL 217, the 7th edition of
UL 268, or subsequent editions. These
listed alarms utilize multiple different
sensors and algorithms to be able to
differentiate between smoke caused by
common cooking vs a fire.
Another source of common nuisance
alarms is from steam from a shower.
Because of this, paragraph 29.11.3.4
(6) of NFPA 72 does not permit smoke
alarms to be placed within 36 inches
(910 millimeters) in a horizontal path
from a door to a bathroom containing
a shower or tub unless it is listed for
installation near such locations.
It is important to note that there is
more that goes into the placement of
smoke alarms than just making sure
they will operate in the event of a
fire. They also need to be placed in a
manner that will reduce the number
of nuisance alarms-which will ultimately
reduce the chances that an
occupant may disable them-and
allow the smoke alarms to operate as
intended and reduce the chances of
occupants dying in a fire.
Shawn Mahoney, P.E., is a technical services engineer
at NFPA. NFPA members and AHJs can use the
Technical Questions tab to post queries on NFPA 72
at nfpa.org/72. To follow the progress on the upcoming
edition of the code, visit nfpa.org/72next.
installed systems: a hydraulic design
information sign (or a pipe schedule
design information sign, where applicable)
and a general information sign.
Systems using antifreeze are required to
have a third type of sign detailing information
about the antifreeze system.
Most valves also require identification
signs, but those are not discussed here.
Hydraulic design information signs
NFPA 13
Water-based fire
protection systems
Information signage
requirements for
sprinkler systems
By Jonathan Hart
T
he 2022 edition of NFPA
13, Standard for the
Installation of Sprinkler
Systems, includes
important changes
related to the information signs that
accompany sprinkler systems.
NFPA 13 requires that systems
include signs at various locations that
provide hydraulic information as well
as general information on the building
and its use. This information forms
the core of what's known as the " basis
of design, " which is determined at the
time of design. While these design decisions
are required to be documented
in the planning and approval process,
the original plans often become difficult
to track down. Keeping a record of
this information in the form of sprinkler
system signage means it's easier to
access if changes are made to the water
supply or to the building's use, changes
that may require a full evaluation of the
sprinkler system. Questions often arise
as to the difference between what is
required for a newly installed sprinkler
system and what's required for existing
systems installed under previous
editions of the standard.
There are two kinds of information
signs required by NFPA 13 for all newly
have been required by NFPA 13 since
the 1960s-nearly as long as hydraulically
calculated systems have been
permitted-and have remained largely
unchanged. These signs must include
the location of the design area or areas,
size or number of sprinklers in the
design area, discharge densities over the
design area, required flow and residual
pressure at the base of the riser,
and other information. This concise
summary allows for confirmation of the
system demand and key design parameters
at the time of installation.
A general information sign is similar
in purpose to the hydraulic information
sign but is intended to include even
more detail about the system design
basis and information relevant to the
inspection, testing, and maintenance
required by NFPA 25, Standard for the
Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.
These were first required in the 2007
edition of NFPA 13. For the 2022
edition, this list now numbers 20 items
and includes occupancy classification,
commodity classification, presence of
high piled or racked storage, maximum
height of planned storage, the original
main drain test results, the locations of
auxiliary systems and/or drain connections,
and more. This information is
important to the building owner and
occupants, inspectors, designers, and
insurers when a review of the system
criteria is needed due to changes in
occupancy, storage array, or water
supply.
Beyond the content of the signs,
their location also needs to be considered.
Hydraulic information signs must
be placed at every system riser, floor
control assembly, alarm valve, dry pipe
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NFPA Journal - Summer 2022

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