Sprinklers in elevator areas

Holy sprinklers Batman!  I have been to 2 buildings this week and heard of a 3^rd building that is having issues with the addition of sprinklers to buildings that have caused significant code consequences to existing elevators.  To Illinois this is something that is new to most buildings, within the last 2-3 years.  Buildings have been installing sprinklers due to mandates, build outs, etc and have not addressed what their elevators need to do i.e. Fireman’s recall.

A building introduces a sprinkler to a 50 year old building, the building installs a heat detector next to the sprinkler heads, these heads can be in the elevator hoistway or machine room.  Some buildings even add a smoke detector next to the heat detector.  When you have heat detectors you need to have a shunt trip.

Building #1

[Elevator pit - Sprinkler and heat in the top right corner - needs a smoke detector - when you have a heat, you need a smoke]

Building #2

[Sprinkler sited - no shunt trip, when the sprinkler goes off there will be live electrical and electrify the elevator machine room]

So what is the big deal?  For 2 of the 3 elevators with new sprinklers, if the elevator is moving and people are in the elevator and the heat detector goes off, the shunt trip is triggered and the elevator loses power.  If someone is in the elevator, they will be trapped, and since the heat went off there is most likely a fire and the person in the elevator most likely will be exposed to tremendous heat, fire or danger.  The 3^rd elevator I was made aware of does have fire recall but no flashing hat, this 3rd elevator has an even smaller potential for safety/danger but it is still lurking out there in a certain scenario.  Fireman goes in the elevator with out knowing that there is a fire in the pit or machine room[because there is no flashing hat], heat trips shunt, fireman is trapped.

What is the likelihood of this occurring to my building?  The likelihood of there ever being a situation is very small. However, any risk that can be avoided, should be avoided, there is not a price you can put on someone’s life.

I just installed sprinklers, heats and shunts, what do I do now?   You have to call your elevator contractor and have them identify if your elevator control system is capable of working with a fireman’s recall system and have a flashing hat.  Remember fire recall is different than having flashing hat. 

Logic behind this

Installation of sprinklers = installation of heat detector next to sprinkler head

Installation of heat detector = installation of smoke detectors

Installation of heat detector = installation of shunt trip

Installation of smoke detectors = Fireman’s recall is required on elevator controller w/flashing hat

How did we miss this?  The Bill Buckner like scenario is very common.  You have a building design team or fire system design team or sprinkler design team who meets the building department’s requirements.  Most design teams are not elevator code experts or ever know how it straddles into the realm of elevator systems. Very Common.  Unfortunately everything having to do with each component of adding sprinklers is expensive, even the elevator system.

What do I have to do now?  Most likely you will need to modernize the elevator control system.  There are elevator control system add on panels, most of the time we do not recommend the installation of this panel.  Every elevator is different you need to make a good decision based on the elevator system that is installed in your building.  Call your contractor, if you don’t like what they tell you, call someone who knows what options you have.

Sump pump -  If you have sprinklers you should also look into adding a sump pump, if that sprinkler ever goes off you will need a way to get the water out of the elevator pit.  And ask the Building Department what their stance on sumps on sprinkled elevator pits.

Most likely the building decision maker was doing everything correct with the information given to them by the other design professionals[building, sprinkler & fire].  Unfortunately if you are in this position they did not know enough to globally review the cost implication to the addition of sprinklers on other parts of the building.

If you have any questions or would like information from Colley Elevator you can go to www.colleyelevator.com, email Craigz@colleyelevator.com or call 630-766-7230.