Sprinklers in Elevator Equipment Rooms

We removed all sprinkler heads in the elevator equipment rooms in lieu of installing shunt trips.  Does this mean our facility is no longer fully sprinklered?

No.  NFPA 13 gives permission to omit sprinklers in certain areas, which means the building is still considered to be fully sprinklered. Additionally, NFPA 13 does not specifically mandate sprinklers in the elevator machine rooms, although it does require sprinklers at the top of the elevator hoistway and in the pit. (Note the exceptions below.) The shunt trip is primarily for the interruption of power to the elevator prior to water entering the hoistway. The intent is that the people in the elevator car are not subjected to water entering an electrically energized passenger car. Passengers in a elevator car should not be at risk if water is introduced into the elevator machine room which is separated from the elevator hoistway by a fire-rated separation. However, the elevator code requires the shunt trip in a machine room which is sprinklered. If there are sprinklers at the top of the elevator hoistways the shunt trip is required unless the interior of the car meets A17.1.

NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, 1999 Edition

5-13.6 Elevator Hoistways and Machine Rooms.

5-13.6.1* Sidewall spray sprinklers shall be installed at the bottom of each elevator hoistway not more than 2 ft (0.61 m) above the floor of the pit.

Exception:  For enclosed, noncombustible elevator shafts that do not contain combustible hydraulic fluids, the sprinklers at the bottom of the shaft are not required.

5-13.6.2* Automatic sprinklers in elevator machine rooms or at the tops of hoistways shall be of ordinary- or intermediate-temperature rating.

5-13.6.3* Upright or pendent spray sprinklers shall be installed at the top of elevator hoistways.

Exception:  Sprinklers are not required at the tops of noncombustible hoistways of passenger elevators with car enclosure materials that meet the requirements of ASME A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.

A-5-13.6.1 The sprinklers in the pit are intended to protect against fires cause by debris, which can accumulate over time. Ideally, the sprinklers should be located near the side of the pit below the elevator doors, where most debris accumulates. However, care should be taken that the sprinkler location does not interfere with the elevator toe guard, which extends below the face of the door opening.

ASME A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, allows the sprinklers within 2 ft (0.65 m) of the bottom of the pit to be exempted from the special arrangements of inhibiting waterflow until elevator recall has occurred.

A-5-13.6.2 ASME A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, requires the shutdown of power to the elevator upon or prior to the application of water in elevator machine rooms or hoistways. This shutdown can be accomplished by a detection system with sufficient sensitivity that operates prior to the activation of the sprinklers (see also NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code®). As an alternative, the system can be arranged using devices or sprinklers capable of effecting power shutdown immediately upon sprinkler activation, such as a waterflow switch without a time delay. This alternative arrangement is intended to interrupt power before significant sprinkler discharge.

A-5-13.6.3 Passenger elevator cars that have been constructed in accordance with ASME A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, Rule 204.2a (under A17.1a-1985 and later editions of the code) have limited combustibility. Materials exposed to the interior of the car and the hoistway, in their end-use composition, are limited to a flame spread rating of 0 to 75 and a smoke development rating of 0 to 450.