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 AssociationCopper 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 systemsconform 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 empertrTABLE 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.
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Inyo tae Als
Be each Techn! Keowee foe Anan Fre
Spine Asc on 1957, Dal Tams
[FS sgh aid of PVC, CPVC td ABS no pe,
‘Contr Dec Espn ear Fae ened ie
cfnm yore SHA Sapo en ary
[i Ping Mais & Dnking Water Quy Cerne Paste
ing an aang ately Su 4A Cima Ota USA,
isabel CH aay Reve Hae Cis
‘eos wah PVOCPVE Pa Pein Peale War” Reprty
(Ciera Amo best Calon Pp Tres
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Koon
Copper Development Association
aoe. 2098