Busting Myths: CPVC Pipe Offers Solution for Commercial Fire Sprinkler Systems

There’s a common misconception that CPVC is approved for fire sprinklers only in residential settings. In fact, CPVC is UL listed for use in all light hazard applications as defined by NFPA 13, including offices, high rises, schools, hospitals and many others.

If you’re evaluating pipe and fittings for a retrofit or new construction, CPVC pipe and fittings such as BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems offer several key advantages over traditional steel pipe:

1. Lower cost. Material costs are lower because CPVC offers a smoother interior surface. That allows system designers to specify smaller diameter pipe while ensuring the same level of water flow. Onsite fabrication streamlines design and installation. Steel systems require some offsite fabrication, which adds time and cost to the process.

• Easier installation. CPVC piping systems are lightweight and flexible, which makes them easier to transport throughout the jobsite and to install in tight spaces. A CPVC system is installed with an efficient one-step solvent cement process that can be completed quickly by trained personnel. One installer can cover an area while installation of heavy metal pipe requires a crew. CPVC installation is completed using basic hand tools, unlike steel systems that require costly torches, threading machines, pipe wrenches, and more.

• Less disruption to building occupants. During retrofits, the clean, quiet installation method for CPVC fire sprinkler systems ensures contractors can complete work with limited disruption to ongoing operations. The noise, open flames and large work crews required for steel installation mean occupants typically must vacate a building.

• Lower long-term maintenance costs. With metal pipe, the combination of water, treatment chemicals and oxygen can cause corrosion to start within two years. CPVC fire sprinkler systems are naturally resistant to corrosion, scaling, and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC). BlazeMaster fire sprinkler systems are designed for a 50-year service life.

• Superior sustainability metrics. An ISO-compliant lifecycle assessment found that BlazeMaster CPVC is much less harmful to produce than steel pipe and has half the climate change impact of steel pipe.

Case Study: Saving Time and Money on a Commercial Retrofit

The advantages of CPVC are especially important in commercial projects. Switching from steel pipe to BlazeMaster fire sprinkler systems saved $21,000 on a retrofit of a commercial complex in Sacramento, Calif. Easier installation reduced labor costs and there was minimal disruption to the building tenants as work was completed.

Science. Service. Safety.

CPVC was invented and commercialized by BFGoodrich, now Lubrizol, over 50 years ago. BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems launched in 1984 and is specially engineered to ensure the protection of people and property around the world.  Our combination of extensive training and field support have made it the most specified system of its kind. And our FBC™System Compatible Program is the most trusted chemical compatibility program in the industry. This program is exclusive to Lubrizol Advanced Materials’ FlowGuard, BlazeMaster Fire Protection Systems, Corzan and products made with TempRite Technology. Learn more at BlazeMaster.com.