So in the condo there is an over head sprinkler system ... it is a little nub of a thing but does anyone have experience putting in a ceiling fan in the ceiling where there is a sprinkler head ? Its right smack dab in the middle of the ceiling... :huh:
You might want to run this installation through the condo board. There might be limitations about distances from the sprinkler you need to maintain.
Ron
Sprinkler systems are designed for the room they are in and the presence of a ceiling fan affects the design. So you shouldn't just plop one in anywhere. It could block the sprinkler pattern. You'll need to involve a sprinkler pro in locating the fan.
The condo association should be able to tell you the name of the sprinkler contractor or at least the GC. Then you can find out which varaiation of NFPA 13 was code when the building was designed/built. Then ask the sprinkler contractor the distance from obstructions required.
Think about this: The average sprinkler head is designed to cover a 100 sq. ft. (10 ft. x 10 ft.) area when it goes off due to a heat rise which triggers the sprinkler head. IF this sprinkler head is "smack dab in the middle" of the room, it was designed to be "smack dab" there for an efficient spray pattern in case of a fire. Then you go and install a ceiling fan, you go away for a few hours leaving the fan running, a fire starts and the sprinkler head goes off. Now you have a whirling water spray pattern which probably won't do much good to put out a fire. I believe, if memory serves me correctly, you (NO, a certified sprinkler contractor) will have to relocate this head to one wall within six inches of the ceiling, and change the head to a different pattern to cover the room. David
Part of my job is to design sprinkler systems, as long as the area of the fan blades are less than 50 percent of the area of the fan, you can locate a ceiling fan a minimum of 3 feet away from the sprinkler head without effecting the spray pattern. If the fan blades cover more than 50% of the area of the fan, you have to position the fan or sprinkler based on how far down from the ceiling the fan blades sit. For example, if the fan blades are 6" down from the ceiling, the sprinkler needs to be 4.5 - 5 feet away from the fan. If the fan blades are 8" down, the distance between the two needs to be 6 - 6.5 feet away from each other. The distance is measured from the center of the sprinkler to the center of the ceiling fan. All this is based on NFPA 13R "Installation of sprinkler systems in residiential occupancies up to and including 4 stories in height"
Part of my job is to design sprinkler systems, as long as the area of the fan blades are less than 50 percent of the area of the fan, you can locate a ceiling fan a minimum of 3 feet away from the sprinkler head without effecting the spray pattern. If the fan blades cover more than 50% of the area of the fan, you have to position the fan or sprinkler based on how far down from the ceiling the fan blades sit. For example, if the fan blades are 6" down from the ceiling, the sprinkler needs to be 4.5 - 5 feet away from the fan. If the fan blades are 8" down, the distance between the two needs to be 6 - 6.5 feet away from each other. The distance is measured from the center of the sprinkler to the center of the ceiling fan. All this is based on NFPA 13R "Installation of sprinkler systems in residential occupancies up to and including 4 stories in height"
Holy crap ... that was really cool to get that kind of feed back on the thread I posted up. Thanks a lot to you all for the amount of feed back I got on the thread it. Think I will just do track lighting or lighting thing in the office instead :wink:
Thank you engineer. There it is folks, from a person who knows of what he speaks. I had not thought of the effect of the fan on the pattern and droplets.
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