Smarthome SELECT Electronic Water Shutoff Valve, 3/4-inch, 12V DC

[G W]

Greenfield ASV:

 

http://www.greenfielddirect.com/automatic-security-valves/

 

FYI Greenfield is the OEM for the Elk valves

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

And much cheaper and easier warranty.

 

And they have a Z-Wave version.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[visualcoat]

​Do you need a Elk system to use the Elk water shut off or can I use it with a ISY, Insteon I/O, and Leak sensor?

[giesen]

​Do you need a Elk system to use the Elk water shut off or can I use it with a ISY, Insteon I/O, and Leak sensor?

No its pretty universal as long as you have the appropriate inputs/outputs.

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

[apostolakisl]

No one has brought this up at any of the national home builders shows this year. I'll search and see what I can find.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

It is in the IRC code, but most states have removed it.  Here are the ones that did not.

 

• California: Effective January 1, 2011, the California Building Standards Commission approved the State Fire Marshal's Building, Fire and Residential Code adoption packages for the 2010 California Building Standards Codes, including its requirements for residential fire sprinklers in all new one-and two-family dwellings and townhome construc­tion statewide. More about fire sprinkler codes in California.
• Maryland: The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has adopted the 2015 International Residential Code, including its requirement for automatic fire sprinklers in new, one- and two- family dwellings. Maryland law prohibits local jurisdictions from weakening the sprinkler requirement in their building code adoptions.
• Effective January 1, 2011, all new residences in the District of Columbia are required to have fire sprinklers.

Plus the states of Colorado and Washington, while not adopting statewide IRC requirements for sprinklers, have allowed local jurisdictions to require them, and some have.

[G W]

 

Thank you, apodstolakisl,

 

I actually found a lot of information last night but hadn't posted. This is good information to have.

 

I have to wonder why it's not being discussed. But maybe I'm just not hearing it.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

In our town local ordinances have been put into place where water / chemical suppression is required for condo's, side by side (Town house), and some HOA's.

 

Obviously apartments, business buildings all use water suppression systems but hope very much this trend to include a fire system to residential homes takes off. This is where places like the United States clearly lead the market and truly see the benefit. 

[G W]

I have mixed feelings about it.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

With anything there will always be pros / cons as it was with for AFCI, GFCI, Sumps, etc. Back in the day the technology simply wasn't ready and most times this came off as a money grab by the various industries pushing said safety devices etc. This hick town I live in now only in the last seven years or so adopted fire break building codes.

 

Meaning way back in the day if you had an attached garage the separating wall didn't need to use X-rated drywall to protect the home?!?! Anyways as per usual human life needed to be lost before people grabbed a brain to do otherwise.

 

Right now this same hick town is still hoeing and humming about whether to enforce a rule where any home that uses engineered support beams must have a placard on the front of the entry door etc.

 

I am sure it will take more human loss before they get a brain that it only makes sense.

[G W]

In some areas I can see a great advantage. But in the Denver area there are so few house fires the ROI is almost zero.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[mwester]

Right now this same hick town is still hoeing and humming about whether to enforce a rule where any home that uses engineered support beams must have a placard on the front of the entry door etc.

 

I am sure it will take more human loss before they get a brain that it only makes sense.

 

???  What am I missing here -- what's the problem with engineered lumber?

[Teken]

???  What am I missing here -- what's the problem with engineered lumber?

 

Not to completely derail this fine thread but the problem is when a fire fighter enters a home which uses these beam materials. When a fire condition exists these engineered beams not only burn quicker but much hotter than normal 2x12" solid wood planks which are sandwiched together.

 

Thus when said fire fighter is walking around unbeknownst to him the floor gives way.

 

This issue has caused quite a few deaths in the fire fighter community and Government is pondering a rule, law, ordinance which states any home using said engineered beams must have a simple (common) label affixed to the door or side of the entrance way.

 

This in a round about way lets the fire fighter use alternate means or techniques to fight the fire or traverse the area in question.

 

Clear as mud? 

[kohai]

In some areas I can see a great advantage. But in the Denver area there are so few house fires the ROI is almost zero.

 

S.A.T.T.P.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

Ditto here in Utah.  The expense to outfit every new home versus the loss doesn't work out.

[apostolakisl]

Ditto here in Utah.  The expense to outfit every new home versus the loss doesn't work out.

Ditto.  I mostly lean toward it is a money making scheme for the people who make this stuff.  At least in my particular circumstance in my commercial property the fire sprinkler system has been a complete disaster.  There are all kinds of problems with sprinklers system related to MIC (micro-bacterial induced corrosion).  It destroys the pipes and after 10 to 20 years the systems are filled with holes.  In my case, holes blew out in the middle of night and put tens of thousands of gallons of water into my office.  Yes, a large swimming pool of water.  At 120 psi a lot of water can come out of 3 x 1/2 inch holes over 8 hours.  Of course they have decided to use pvc for some sprinklers, but who knows what issues those systems will have.  They thought iron pipe was so awesome 20 years ago . .. what could go wrong . . .the answer is lots.

 

My expectation would be that:

 

1) A properly working interconnected smoke detector in a 2 or fewer story building is just as effective at protecting life.  And

2) The cost benefit would be negative.  I would expect that the amount of fire damage prevented by a sprinkler system would be vastly over run by the huge cost of installing them in every single dwelling, of which 99.9 plus % never catch on fire.  Not to mention the costs that would arise with a false triggering of the system and the general maintenance costs.  Plus I imagine there will be mandatory testing (as is required for my office) adding a couple grand of expenses every few years and then the repairs that will follow from those inspections.  I wouldn't be surprised if your insurance not only doesn't give you a discount, but raises your rates if you have one.

 

In short, the world contains a limited number of resources and I truly doubt that mandating sprinkler systems in standard single family homes will ever be a good way to allocate those limited funds.  I see it as a pet project for some busy body bureaucrats who having nothing to do but try and figure out ways to justify their own existence and a bunch of industry lobby people encouraging them.  Basically, it means everyone just got less house for the same amount of money, or they now just can't afford a house at all.