Project Highlights
- Rick Jurzyk, owner of Rick's Plumbing Service in Milford, Conn. has been installing the Uponor Residential Fire Safety System since 2001.
- His first project, a 28-unit townhouse development, took three employees two days to install both the domestic plumbing and fire safety system.
- Because the Uponor system is multi-purpose, they did not have to install back-flow protection in every single unit, saving on installation costs and eliminating the need for periodic maintenance.
Background
The Uponor Residential Fire Safety System is a non-stagnant, multi-purpose plumbing and fire safety system that offers great advantages over standalone fire sprinkler systems.
Additionally, Uponor offers a certification program ensuring only trained and qualified plumbers install the system, so homeowners have confidence and peace of mind both in the system and in the installation.
One of those Uponor-trained plumbers is Rick Jurzyk, owner of Rick's Plumbing Service in Milford, Conn.
“We've been installing Uponor’s Wirsbo AQUAPEX® tubing in plumbing systems for more than 10 years,” he says. “The tubing we use for plumbing now also feeds the sprinklers in the multi-purpose system.”
The Uponor multi-purpose system combines the cold-water plumbing and fire sprinkler system into one — averaging only 1 to 2% of the total cost of building a new home. This particular system is also unique because it was the first non-stagnant system on the market.
A non-stagnant system means every time a cold-water fixture is used, fresh water circulates throughout the tubing that feeds to the sprinklers and other cold-water plumbing fixtures. This ensures fresh water is always available to the fire sprinklers if it is ever needed.
“We chose the Uponor system because we wanted to offer our customers the ultimate in comfort — peace of mind,” Jurzyk says. “This system needs to be in every home across America. We're talking about protecting people's lives, and finally there’s a system on the market that makes it easy to install and affordable.”
Benefits
Fast Response
Sprinklers activate independently when the surrounding temperature reaches 155°F. One sprinkler can typically extinguish a beginning fire — many times before a fire department has the opportunity to respond.
Cost Effective
Aesthetically Pleasing
Guaranteed
Project Data
Structure Size:
1,200 square feet per unit (28 units total)
Construction Type:
Wood-frame townhouse unit
Tubing Type:
½" Wirsbo AQUAPEX to sprinklers and plumbing system; 1" Wirsbo AQUAPEX to manifold
Amount of Tubing:
1,000 feet per unit, plus 200 feet for domestic hot water
Number of Manifolds:
One 10-port manifold in kitchen ceiling
Number of Sprinklers:
12 to 14 per unit
Installation Method
Homerun
Length of Installation:
Two days with two plumbers and one apprentice to complete 28 units with plumbing and fire safety systems