A New Test to Evaluate the Fire Performance of Residential Sprinklers

Abstract

Fire tests were conducted using the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) UL 1626 Fire Test for residential sprinklers. The results indicated that sprinkler performance in UL 1626 could not be reproduced due to differences in material flammability properties. This conclusion was reached in a cooperative effort with UL. Factory Mutual Research's Approval fire test that had been redesigned based on UL 1626 was thus subject to the same variability. A new fire test was developed using fuel with controlled material flammability parameters based upon the use of the ASTM E2058 Fire Propagation Apparatus. The new fuel package consists of a wood crib (one half the height of the one which was used in UL 1626) supported over a pan with heptane, two polyether foam cushions (about 60% greater in density than the foam previously used in UL 1626) measuring 34 in by 30 in by 3 in (864 mm by 762 mm by 76 mm) and \( \frac{1}{4}\) in (6 mm) Douglas Fir plywood paneling. The new fire test was shown in a series of sprinklered fire tests to provide a reproducible challenge to residential sprinklers comparable to that observed in the Factory Mutual Research and the Los Angeles Residential Test Programs.