In Vancouver fire sprinklers are required for single family residential homes and need to be considered for providing enough mechanical space, appropriate size of main waterline entering the home and the aesthetics of the heads on ceilings and walls. The fire sprinkler contractor usually provides engineering services included in the cost of doing there work.
This will dictate the size of the waterline entering the home ( along with the number plumbing fixture units ), he will also determine if a booster pump is required, this pump will increase the water pressure in the home in the event there is a fire ( basically the city is not able to provide enough pressure to properly operate the fire sprinklers inside the home). The mechanical room should have space dedicated for the booster pump in the event it is needed. The electrician should also rough in wiring for the pump unless it is determined the pump is not needed. The electrical shut off is required to be locked so it can not accidentally be turned off. The water service is also not allowed to have a separate shut off from the domestic so it can not accidentally be turned off. This means any time work is being done on the fire sprinklers the domestic water will also be turned off.
The rough in for the sprinklers can be done around the same time as the waterline and the sprinkler contractor will let you know approximately where the heads are required. Ensure that all drop ceilings are complete as if not the contractor will have to do double work and come back and drop the heads. In the event this is not possible then he can leave the pipe long and come back afterwards to put it to the correct length. It looks best to align the heads with other items on the ceilings pot lights, smoke detectors, fans etc. It is good to go through the entire home with the contractor to correctly identify these locations ( interior design drawings do not have these on them, and it would be difficult for them to include them as they would have to have a comprehensive understanding of the sprinkler code ). As the contractor completes the rough in they will install temporary covers on all the heads in case they are accidentally knocked by another contractor doing work in the home.
It is very important to ensure these covers are in place and its a good idea for you to have a few extras to place in case any go missing. Since it reduces the possibility of fire damage to the home during construction its a good idea to leave the system charged after rough in so extra care must be taken not to damage the system. Once complete this is required to be inspected by the city and is part of the rough in inspections required to be passed before framing inspection can be called for.
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