Copper Brass Bronze Material Selection Guide Copper vs CPVC for Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems “Technical comparison of alternative piping materals,nstalaton requirements, performance and system charactersics, ‘and costs for automatic fire sprinker systems, Material performance is discussed under normal and severe operating condians ‘common to fre sprinkler instalations Reva Copper Development AssociationCopper can be instal in unnished, combustible analor Concealed areas, even where ambient temperatures may ‘excoed 150 F. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. The Material enn Installation Environments. Performance Characteristics ean ‘Strength ‘Thermal Canductvity Emortement Thermal Expansion Hysraule Characteristics. Flammabity, Toxic Gas, Fite Saat Chemical Resistance ‘System Charactristics Design Freedom Hanger Spacing Ease of rslaton. : Testing Fepais and Rework INTRODUCTION Automat fe sealers, coe fund msl ia commercial ad Senda sng, now being instal ee hes, mae, fice lings, sige al mitaity resifences and mabe homes. The spike piping mi needed satisfy theenannous market these new nslations represen mnt be verse, simple tall, confine and stove al ale or decades, steppe wit threaded connsctons was the ‘atonal mater or ir sprinkler systems, Sel syste re sill being nse tay bt te weight igh cst and abo nore inaliationare prompting shit ogee made rom copper asec hated polysnchleeise (CPVC) pls pps, bos appeased ur National Fre Protection Associaica (NFPA) standards Thr is ite «queston ha CPVC ean be va erative t sel systems, uti cannot ompare with copper Thi pubiation ks at upper and CPV systems fom the sano of salty, desi ‘feed, asain pone reir and installed cost THE MATERIALS The most coset copper tube fr aoa spikler ‘sts Type M mein aesordece with ASTM Stand ‘Specification B88. Cast one aid wg coper iting fo Type Mabe are marc to ASME standart 16,18 and L622, espace. These are these stanard matrils specications tht ply ote de ested we of copper in Potable water eating and si-conatoning stems The "ial self is 999% pure copper: mind, eid ad eel in Non America, Copper ube fr water dstehuson sytem his given ste, rie service io italy milion fist ins Sine nonin 1530. {CPVCisatheoplsi polymer made by adsing extra éhloin (C1 tnary PVC polyvinyl bond) using 8 ‘arity of tchnigues. The chlorination poses may be cried ‘out either by the ey aoes (ia Muze be under very short ‘eaelength ration ry he wet press fr exare nan ‘agueou suspension inthe presence of a weling sa I ths way the cern soaten maybe iaceaal from he 57% present in PVC 0 736, the tenia maxima, For the most wl applications chlorine level Been (635 and 68% 5 nomally used: above this value a sonverson proces becomes ver iin CComstion an properties depend sone on he dearer and meted of orton, Processing nase ity con tolled oasure unify. As with mest plas, CPVC compounded wah aie lian files rpms Sizes processing ane is properties appa ‘CPV ein oping is manus to ASTM D 2846" ‘CPYC products inte fo automat Tie sprinkler systemsconform ty ASTM RE7." B88)" 39° and FZ CVC figs follow ion pipe ie (PS) sche pe ANSI B36. 10)° ‘wile CPVC pie for fire spoke stems s mnufctred in a sing standat dimension ratio SDR he at of average ‘aside diameter to Wal thickness) of 13.5 Several Nox “Amarin mance process hi esa io pipe ad tings. {CPUC pip or wae daributon stems was fst) {in 1961, NFPA acepance ofthe ws of CPV ie ule stems, haved or Undrters Labs Istng, as geamedin 1988 INSTALLATION ENVIRONMENTS “The ype and lation ofan pes stallion methods for tre srinker tems ae dese in he National Fie PrtctonAssvitn's standards NFPA 13, 1D and 138? “These snd define the allowable syscens ia tems of the ‘ype and ue the sas eho te within a seuctue Tepid, Coppers apyrved for exposed Wet pp systems in lige Heard Oosupaices with we of elie) ‘nwrmodiatated rile Copper ue and tings with raza joins are accept by NFPA 13, 13D ard 13R for service ial categories and ot, nln a plus, tics and cra pact, {CPN ist for, sd iit to service i | Ligh nian ecupances as defined in NFPA 13 ‘Reset occupies as dined in NFPA, 13D (one- and ‘two-family dvelings and mile home): | Residential occupancies upto four stores a high 3s (ind in NEPA TSR, Meranile, sevice and related storage aes classified as Onin Hard Group Ice 2, en (1) He bling ‘occupy is pinay light hazard and (hey ar fou tithing hazard cccupancy ‘There are a umber of insallation resins en the use of CPV, nating stpuaions hat ‘CPVC, wen cnccald stb inal abovea gypsum ord cing having inna hicks toh 3 ‘sponded memane cll with metalic supe gids ‘ith yin panel tes ving a weig oft es a (035 Te int plywood softs. residential ‘ystems spsifisd under NFPA T3D oF BR the xing ‘may consist of singe layer of inch py oo Exposed CPVC must be stalled Blow a smooth iota ing ar pinks mast istedquick response tyes with dest ntl iin ht fnchos ofthe caln, Hse sient types installed in cordance withthe ising ‘These estcons iit a CPVC system's silty wo be refed nan exising rte and ana the cost ofthe lnslaion Copper systems end themselves welt virally all ‘eof intaliatons. Sprinkle stems may operate with wet” "piping. Aepensing on serie cents, Wee systems a file wth ‘wale ypto the spake and are pial used in elias au mot interior insalsions no sbjet elow-erng temperatures Dry sss ae psn with ior an net fas, which acs asa presi sensing mda an wigs the Gscharge of water raptor a speinkler ative. Dry systems are ued whee tees danger of feng. Copper an bins in bth wet and ary systans, CPV canbe so ‘west ol it must never be insted ina ry system. because the energy ofthe pressurized gus, if released sabenly de wre of the pige,wouldpreset a seus salty haz ‘While sprinkler sts can be designed o opera nay reasonably foreseabe ambient temperate rags bis) m0 ‘sytem stud be allowed to fez. nstalatos in ares subject {0 ow temperatures, sich a unbated tes and cal cs rpm if the systems designe such hat rene ‘recta Copper does’ hecome rile stow tpeanes ‘nd doos't met unl 980 F (1082 Cy cerefre, its salen orally ot and eo locations. ‘CPNC is far ess die than copper espe tow temperaures bens o ofen at moderately lead temper tures, CPVC is restricted to ares where ambient empertiss rermin between 35 Fad 150 F(L6C and 635 C)-lemay be lnstled in ot locations (anbietemperature above 150F) ‘only itis adequately insulated, PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS STRENGTH “The sorter burst strong of pipe oa be depends upon is dimensions andthe ese eng (a given temperate) ‘ofthe material. The shore bust stent of Type M copper tae nthe dan temper i as mich 2104.3 ines ao {CPVC pipe dances up i inches, Table 1 ‘Sprinkle stem component can be expose igh ‘enpertres belo sprinkler activate. The a me ken in consideration inser design and sprinkle slcin [Nevers the designe shoul understand how the popes af Ge sjstem component reac tansen temperature eter fons For CPV mater this formation moe) viable, Figure 1° compares th effet of sing temperatures on ‘copper and CPVC, Annealed copper ean sen al ofits ength ove the range of eerste nee pile system signs. Avail daa for ard Yeitch “Type M copper tbe suggest light seas i bat presse over tetera ange shown In contra, CPC gist Jen consdeable stent when het to temperatures even slg above oom empertrTABLE 1. Room-Temperature Rated Internal Working Pressures and Burst Pressures for Type Ml Copper Tube and SOR 13.5 CPVC Pipe, = Burt pat lsmtor| Werk Pessoa "Sant [Rane ‘Sigs! [Type copper [cwve= |*CipeM | CPV, stence_ [Dre [Ronesied| SORES] re r is -ari5 | 1000 T [506 | a57—|ais [anne [1000 [sor [ase 31g [a8 | 1000 Te [aor gat [316] 2550] 1000, 2 [ss 200 [315] aaa5 | 0007 2E_[-ait_[-ara | 315_|_ 2000 | 10 3 —[-seo [255 [35 [2665 | 100 4 [arr] 381] ais] 2216 | r000 area [a0] TC A ie aoa pera 76. FIGURE 1. Eurst Pressure for Sprinkler Tube/Pipe Materials 500 Ta T ae raw 10 Type Mapa Tae t+—| ‘nT in a. Antherfctor to conse that PVC stress espns becomes time-dependent at ven mde elevated temperatures, such those een encourtered in atic a ran spaces wo eft ar psx: sje oa constant ead, CPVCcreps,o slowly deforms altertvely, when etd at const ain, tb increasingly capa plastic relies the appli sues In practical tems his meat, ese vey tha ovebeaed CPYC pipes may eg, nor dead joints may lac over ane Spikes overrqud ino CPVC firings ave hoes koe to ota ot of poston she headed plist tings ea, hos miscrcting e-sppressne war ‘Spay pts when activated “Astpdar ts, ASTAID 648, mesuresthe dsotion ‘erperati under oad (DTUL) for CPYC anther therao- ‘ss. Ait nase implies te DTU i temperate a ‘which the ria o lange sustains pescabed loa witht Noun, RC dM, Seamon. “tps te cst of Give hen” AIBC 6 Cot rc, Se Pint Ea 136980. San DC. 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