scope:

NFPA 13D is appropriate for protection against fire hazards only in one- and twofamily dwellings and manufactured homes. Residential portions of any other type of building or occupancy should be protected with residential sprinklers in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, or in accordance with NFPA 13R, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies up to and Including Four Stories in Height. Other portions of such buildings should be protected in accordance with NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R as appropriate for areas outside the dwelling unit.

The criteria in this standard are based on full-scale fire tests of rooms containing typical furnishings found in residential living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. The furnishings were arranged as typically found in dwelling units in a manner similar to that shown in Figure A.1.1(a), Figure A.1.1(b), and Figure A.1.1(c). Sixty full-scale fire tests were conducted in a two-story dwelling in Los Angeles, California, and 16 tests were conducted in a 14 ft (4.3 m) wide mobile home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sprinkler systems designed and installed according to this standard are expected to prevent flashover within the compartment of origin where sprinklers are installed in the compartment. A sprinkler system designed and installed according to this standard cannot, however, be expected to completely control a fire involving fuel loads that are significantly higher than average for dwelling units [10 lb/ft² (49 kg/m²)] and where the interior finish has an unusually high flame spread index (greater than 225) when tested in accordance with ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, or ANSI/UL 723, Standard for Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.

Purpose

While the purpose of this standard is to provide improved protection against injury and loss of life, the use of these systems has demonstrated an ability to provide improved protection against property damage. Various levels of fire safety are available to dwelling occupants to provide life safety and property protection.

This standard recommends, but does not require, sprinklering of all areas in a dwelling; it permits sprinklers to be omitted in certain areas. These areas have been proved by NFPA statistics [see Table A.1.2(a) and Table A.1.2(b)] to be those where the incidence of life loss from fires in dwellings is low. Such an approach provides a reasonable degree of fire safety. Greater protection to both life and property is achieved by sprinklering all areas.

Guidance for the installation of smoke detectors and fire detection systems is found in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.