On 8/20/2013 11:15 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:


I live in an apartment with several fire sprinkler in the ceiling.
If the sprinkler goes off due to fire or malfunction, can I turn it
off after the fire is out? Is it the same valve near the water heater
or is there a different one?
Im more worry about water damage (to electronics and computers) than
fire
damage. Perhaps because Ive never had a fire before and this is the
first
time I moved to a place with fire sprinklers.
Alternately, is there a switch to cut off power to computers or other
devices when it senses water? This would reduce short-circuits caused
by water when the device is powered.

Doubt you can turn it off. If the sprinkler does go off, you have more
problems than losing a computer.

In most cases, the valves are locked in the open position.

That's the old school way. Today newer buildings tend to have valve
position monitor switches tied into the fire alarm system that will
alert the building personnel if a valve is tampered with (in fact the
common term for them is "tamper switches.")

My understanding was that there should be a "breakaway" somewhere in the
chain or cable that would allow someone to shut the valve in an
emergency by applying greater than normal (but not outside the range of
normal human strength) to the handwheel. However I've seen plenty of
valves locked open with what appeared to be ordinary chain.

This is to
avoid people turning them off and rendering the sprinkler system useless
when needed. You can even be arrested in some jurisdictions.

The fire department or the building maintenance can turn them off.

Agree 100% with the above.

nate