Standpipe Requirements

NYC Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 1, subch. 17, art. 3

in effect

NYC Admin. Code § 27-932 When required.

§ 27-932 When required. (a) Wet standpipe systems shall be installed: (1) In all buildings or portions thereof exceeding six stories or seventy-five feet in height, except that open parking structures shall not require installation of a wet standpipe system unless they exceed ten parking levels or seventy-five feet in height. (2) In all portions of buildings two or more stories in height that have a floor area of ten thousand square feet or more on any floor. (b) Where standpipes are required by the height and area limitations of subdivision (a) of this section, a non-automatic or automatic dry standpipe system may be installed in lieu of the wet standpipe in all buildings classified in occupancy group G not over six stories or seventy-five feet in height. A dry standpipe system shall be installed in all open parking structures which exceed three parking levels and contain not more than ten parking levels. (c) A standpipe system shall be installed in all buildings exceeding three stories in height that have an area exceeding seven thousand five hundred square feet on any floor and where a standpipe system is not otherwise required by the provisions of this subchapter. A nonautomatic or automatic dry system may be used in lieu of the wet standpipe. (d) The following buildings shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivisions (a), (b) and (c) of this section: (1) Buildings classified in occupancy groups F, G, H, and J that do not exceed two stories or thirty feet in height and an area of twenty thousand square feet on any floor and are provided with hand or portable fire extinguishers as required by the fire department. (2) Buildings classified in occupancy groups E, F, G, H, and J that require a wet standpipe as provided in paragraph two of subdivision (a) and subdivision (c) of this section but not exceeding six stories or seventy-five feet in height and that are equipped throughout with an automatic wet or dry sprinkler system connected to a central supervisory station, and such system complies with the provision of this subchapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-933 Yard hydrant systems required.

§ 27-933 Yard hydrant systems required. Outdoor amusement and exhibition places, oil storage plants, lumber yards, trailer camps, industrial parks, and similar occupancies shall have yard hydrants installed so that the entire area may be reached by two hundred fifty feet of hose from a yard hydrant or a street hydrant. Single hydrant connection shall be at least in six inch I.P.S. Such hydrants shall be directly connected with city water main or private water main, or supplied from gravity tanks or pressure tanks, as provided in this subchapter. (a) Where the area of such enclosure is more than forty thousand square feet and where the available city water service is less than that specified in paragraph one of subdivision (b) of section 27-945 of this article, the yard hydrant system shall be supplied as follows: (1) A gravity tank of at least fifty thousand gallon capacity shall be provided and elevated so that the bottom of the tank is at least seventy-five feet above the highest grade elevation and at least twenty-five feet above the highest building in the area supplied by this tank. (2) In lieu of paragraph one of this subdivision, there shall be provided a manual fire pump with a capacity of at least one thousand gpm, and a suction tank of at least fifty thousand gallon capacity. The suction tank shall be supplied through a six inch connection to the city water main controlled by an automatic ball float valve in the suction tank. A bypass shall be provided so that the pump may be fed directly from the city water main. (3) The pump shall be located in a pump house at the street main side of the area or enclosure. (4) Suction from a river or well may be permitted by the commissioner if the required quantity of reasonably clean fresh water may be obtained thereby, subject to the approvals of such other authorities as may have jurisdiction over the primary source of supply. (b) The maximum distance between hydrants shall be two hundred fifty feet. At each yard hydrant, two hundred fifty feet of rubber lined hose, with a smooth bore one and one-eighth inch approved play-pipe, shall be placed in a hose house painted red, and the words "Fire Hose" in six inch white letters shall be painted on the door. (c) The approval of the fire department shall be obtained for location of any monitor nozzles that may be required in addition to yard hydrants. Not more than one monitor nozzle with remote control will be required for each forty thousand square feet of area or fraction thereof unless, in the fire department's opinion, an unusual hazard exists. (d) Standpipes and sprinkler systems may be connected to a yard hydrant system in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter. (e) Yard hydrant systems connected to city water mains shall be provided with post indicator valves located in an accessible position. Post indicator valves shall be locked open and be painted red. (f) Fire extinguishing equipment, in addition to that prescribed by this section, shall be provided in accordance with requirements of chapter four of this title for oil storage plants, oil refineries, and other plants deemed by the fire commissioner to present unusual fire hazards, and also in rooms or spaces housing electrical equipment when such fire extinguishing equipment is deemed necessary.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-934 Standpipe systems in structures being erected or demolished.

§ 27-934 Standpipe systems in structures being erected or demolished. (a) During construction or demolition of any structure for which a standpipe system is required, provision shall be made for the use of such standpipe by the fire department in accordance with the provisions of section 27-1014 of article one of subchapter nineteen and this subchapter. (b) Temporary risers shall be at least four inches in diameter for structures less than four hundred fifty feet high and at least six inches in diameter for structures four hundred fifty feet high or more. There shall be as many risers as will be, or were, required for the permanent system. Each such riser shall be connected to a cross connection that is supplied through siamese hose connections at the street level, and shall be equipped on each floor with a two and one-half inch hose outlet valve. The installations shall be made so that each riser, cross-connection, and branch line can be plugged or capped when work is not being done on the system. The location of the siamese hose connection shall be placarded, kept free from obstruction, and identified by a red light.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-935 Number of standpipe risers required.

§ 27-935 Number of standpipe risers required. The number of standpipe risers shall be such that every point of every floor can be reached by a twenty foot stream from a nozzle attached to not more than one hundred twenty-five feet of hose connected to a riser outlet valve.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-936 Location of standpipe risers.

§ 27-936 Location of standpipe risers. (a) Standpipe risers and two and one-half inch angle hose valves shall be located within stairway enclosures. For additional requirements see section 27-343 of article five of subchapter five and subdivision (j) of section 27-375 of article five of subchapter six of this chapter. When stairway enclosures are not available within the distance limitations of section 27-935 of this article, the standpipe risers and two and one-half inch angle hose valves shall be located as near to the enclosure as practicable, subject to the approval of the commissioner. A metal sign with one inch lettering indicating the location of the outlet shall be provided in the stair enclosure on each floor where the riser is not located in the enclosure. (b) No standpipe riser shall be placed in any shaft containing a gas or fuel pipeline.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-937 Omission of standpipe service.

§ 27-937 Omission of standpipe service. (a) Standpipe outlets may be omitted in portions of first floors or basements that are completely separated from the entrance hall or enclosed stairways leading to the upper floors, provided portable fire extinguishers are installed, subject to the approval of the commissioner. (b) Standpipe protection shall be omitted from transformer vaults, high-tension switchboard rooms, and other locations where the use of hose streams would be hazardous. Any space or room that houses equipment of such nature that the use of water would be ineffective in fighting the fire, or would be hazardous, shall have a conspicuous metal sign on each door opening on such space or room stating the nature of the use and the warning: "Use No Water".

NYC Admin. Code § 27-938 Size of standpipe risers.

§ 27-938 Size of standpipe risers. The size of standpipe risers shall be in accordance with Table 17-1. TABLE 17-1 Size of Standpipe Risers Height1 Minimum Riser Size Required (I.P.S.) 150 ft. or less 4 in. Greater than 150 ft 6 in. Note for Table 17-1: 1 The height shall be that of the individual riser to the highest hose outlet (not including manifold outlets) from the level of the entrance floor at street level at which the riser begins.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-939 Devices used in system.

§ 27-939 Devices used in system. No device, valve, pipe, or fitting may be used in a standpipe system unless such device, valve, pipe or fitting has been accepted or approved in accordance with the provisions of section 27-135 of article eight of subchapter one of this chapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-940 Siamese connections required.

§ 27-940 Siamese connections required. Siamese connections shall be provided as follows: (a) One siamese connection shall be provided for each three hundred feet of exterior building wall or fraction thereof facing upon each street or public space. (b) Where buildings face upon two parallel streets or public spaces without an intersecting street or public space, one siamese shall be provided for each three hundred feet of exterior building wall or fraction thereof facing upon each such parallel street or public space. (c) Where a building faces upon two intersecting streets or public spaces and the total length of the exterior building walls facing upon such streets or public spaces does not exceed three hundred feet only one siamese connection need be installed provided the siamese connection is located within fifteen feet of the corner and on the longer street. (d) Where a building faces on three streets or public spaces, one siamese connection shall be provided for each three hundred feet of building wall or fraction thereof facing upon such streets or public spaces, provided that at least one siamese connection is installed on each of the parallel streets or public spaces, and further provided that the siamese connections shall be located so that the distance between them does not exceed three hundred feet. (e) Where a building faces upon four streets or public spaces, at least one siamese connection shall be provided on each street front or public space; however, only one siamese connection need be provided at the corner of two intersecting streets or public spaces if the siamese connection is located within fifteen feet of the corner and on the longer street or public space, and if the distances between siamese connections, in all cases, does not exceed three hundred feet. (f) In any case where the exterior building walls of a building facing a street or public space is obstructed in part by another building, one siamese connection shall be provided for each clear three hundred feet of exterior building wall or fraction thereof facing upon such street or public space.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-941 Cross connections.

§ 27-941 Cross connections. (a) Standpipe systems that include more than one riser shall have all risers cross-connected at, or below, the street entrance floor level, except as otherwise provided in this section. (b) Standpipe systems in buildings required by the provisions of section 27-943 of this article to have one or more zones shall be so designed and installed that the risers supplied from each zone will be cross-connected below, or in, the story of the lowest hose outlets from the water source in each zone. Horizontal intermediate check valves shall be installed in the run of each riser continuing into a higher zone in such manner as to permit all upper zones of the system to be fed through one riser from the zone below and to prevent any lower zone of the system from being supplied from a zone above. (c) Risers supplied by an upper level cross connection shall be provided with manual control valves or remote control valves, so arranged that risers supplied by the upper level cross connections may independently be shut off from the tank supplies. (d) Cross connections shall be at least as large as the largest riser supplied by the cross connection. However, when supplying two, but not more than four four-inch risers, the cross connection shall not be less than five inches. The cross connection shall not be less than six inches for all other riser combinations. (e) Where there is no cellar, cross connections may be hung from the ceiling of the lowest story. (f) Each siamese connection shall be connected to a riser or to a cross connection connecting other siamese hose connections or risers. The pipe from the siamese connection to the riser or cross connection shall be five inch i.p.s., except that a four inch pipe shall be sufficient when such pipe supplies a single four inch riser system. The pipe from the siamese connection shall be run as directly as practicable to the riser or cross connection.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-942 Hose stations.

§ 27-942 Hose stations. (a) Hose outlet valves. (1) At the riser on each floor served by the riser and on the entrance floor above the riser control valve, a two and one-half inch hose outlet valve shall be provided for fire department use. Such hose outlet valve shall be readily accessible from a stairway landing or from a floor, and shall be located between five feet and six feet above the landing or floor. (2) At the top of the highest riser, there shall be provided above the main roof level, a three-way manifold equipped with three two and one-half inch hose valves with hose valve caps. Where the manifold is located other than within a heated stair enclosure or bulkhead, the control valve shall be located in a horizontal run of piping below the roof. (b) Location. Hose stations shall be located at the standpipe risers located either within a stair enclosure or adjacent to the entrance to such enclosure as provided in section 27-936 of this article. When the hose station is located outside the stair enclosure and the riser is within the stair enclosure, it shall be known as and referred to as "Auxiliary Hose Station". (1) Hose stations shall be located so that every point in the floor area served by the hose station is within twenty feet of the end of the hose nozzle with the hose in its extended position. The maximum length of hose that shall be permitted at any hose station is one hundred twenty-five feet. (c) Size, type and quality of hose. Hose shall be provided on hose racks at each hose station as follows: (1) Hose shall be one and one-half inch "flax-line" unlined linen hose or equivalent, factory coupled, in occupancy groups C, E, F, G, H, and J. (2) Hose shall be two and one-half inch cotton, rubber-line, or rubber hose or equivalent, factory coupled, in occupancy group A. (3) Hose shall be two and one-half inch "flax-line" unlined linen hose or equivalent, factory coupled, for occupancy groups other than those in paragraphs one and two of this subdivision. (4) Hose for auxiliary hose stations shall be one and one-half inch "flax-line" unlined hose or equivalent. (5) Hose lines shall be made up of fifty foot factory coupled hose except that required hose lengths of less than fifty feet shall be in one section of the required length. Only one length less than fifty feet will be permitted where hose length is not of equal fifty foot increments, and no length shall be less than twenty-five feet. (6) Hose may be omitted from hose racks in occupancy groups J-1 and J-2 whenever at least three open nozzles, two one and one-half inch, and two two and one-half inch spanner wrenches, two two and one-half by one and one-half inch non-swivel reducing couplings and three hundred seventy-five feet of one and one-half inch hose are stored and maintained in a locked cabinet located on the main entrance floor in a location near the standpipe riser enclosure subject to the approval of the commissioner, and hose valves are capped with a hose valve cap fastened to the valve with a chain. The person responsible for the maintenance of the standpipe system shall maintain on the premises a key for unlocking the storage cabinet. The key shall be kept in a location where it is readily available to authorized persons, but not available to the general public. A sign shall be placed on the storage cabinet indicating the location of the key. An additional labelled key shall be kept in a locked receptacle near the storage cabinet openable by a fire department standard key. Such receptacle shall be marked "For Fire Department Use Only." A metal sign shall be placed in each stair enclosure on the main entrance floor stating clearly where the storage cabinet is located. (7) Hose may be omitted from hose racks for nonautomatic dry standpipe systems provided that the hose outlet valves are capped with hose valve caps which are chained to the valves. (d) Auxiliary hose stations. (1) Auxiliary hose stations may be installed in those occupancies where one and one-half inch hose is permitted as specified in subdivision (c) of this section. (2) When auxiliary hose stations are installed, the required two and one-half inch hose valve at the riser shall be installed and the valve shall be equipped with a cap fastened to the valve with a chain.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-943 Maximum pressures.

§ 27-943 Maximum pressures. The standpipe system shall be zoned by the use of gravity tanks, automatic fire pumps, pressure tanks, and street pressure so that the maximum pressure at the inlet of any hose valve in the zone does not exceed one hundred sixty psig.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-944 Pressure reducing valves.

§ 27-944 Pressure reducing valves. (a) When the normal hydrostatic pressure at a two and one-half inch hose outlet valve exceeds fifty-five psig, each valve shall be equipped with an adjustable type pressure reducer so that the pressure on the downstream side will not exceed fifty psig when the discharge is at the rate of two hundred gpm from a one inch orifice nozzle attached to one hundred feet of two and one-half inch unlined hose. (b) At one and one-half inch hose stations, an adjustable type of pressure reducer shall be provided on each hose outlet valve where the hydrostatic pressure exceeds eighty-five psig and shall be so adjusted that the pressure on the downstream side will not exceed eighty psig when seventy gpm is discharged from a one-half inch orifice nozzle attached to the length of hose to be provided at the hose station. (c) The pressure reducing valve shall be permanently marked with the address of the premises in which it is installed and with the floor location and the setting for the location at which it is to be used.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-945 Water supply for standpipe systems.

§ 27-945 Water supply for standpipe systems. (a) Primary water supply for standpipe systems. Every standpipe system except nonautomatic dry standpipe systems shall have a primary water supply available at all times at every hose outlet, or made available automatically when the hose valve at any outlet is opened. Such primary water supply may be from one or more gravity tanks from a pressure tank or tanks, from a direct connection to a city water main, from a connection to a private water main, or from an automatic fire pump. (b) Method of providing water supply for standpipe systems. Combinations of two or more of the following methods shall be used; in using such combinations, the siamese connections shall be considered as a source of supply. (1) Direct connections of standpipes to the city water system provided one of the following conditions is met: a. A statement furnished by the bureau of water supply of the department of environmental protection indicates a pressure in the street main that is capable of maintaining a static pressure of at least fifteen psig. at the highest hose outlet between the hours of eight a.m. and five p.m. on a normal working day when a street level fire hydrant within two hundred fifty feet of the building is supplied from the same street main and is discharging at least five hundred gpm through a two and one-half inch hydrant butt. b. For buildings forty feet or less in height with an area of not more than twenty thousand square feet per floor, there is a four inch direct connection to the street main that is fed two ways or there is a four inch direct connection to each of two street mains on two street fronts so installed that shutting off one service will not interfere with the supply of the other, and there is sufficient pressure in the street main to maintain a minimum static pressure of twenty-five psig. at the highest required hose outlet and the department of environmental protection states that the required street pressure is available. (2) A private yard main when meeting the conditions of a direct water connection to the city water system. (3) Gravity tanks provided: a. The minimum quantity of water reserved for standpipe service is thirty-five hundred gallons in each standpipe zone. b. The bottom of the tank shall be at least twenty-five feet above the highest hose outlet that such tank supplies, (except the roof manifold) and those hose outlets in a penthouse enclosing mechanical equipment, except as otherwise provided in subparagraph e of this paragraph. c. Each zone of the standpipe system having three risers or more shall have a total fire reserve capacity of five thousand gallons or more from one or more gravity tanks for each zone. d. Where a group of two or more buildings, connected or separated, is operated under a single control, a single gravity tank having a fire reserve capacity of at least five thousand gallons may be accepted as the primary water supply for the several standpipe systems of such group, provided a dead riser is carried from the bottom of the tank to an underground header or cross connection system and provided each building unit has a post indicator type control valve outside or an o.s. and y. control valve inside the building at a readily accessible location. The underground cross connection may not cross any public street without the approval of the city departments having jurisdiction. e. Useable storage or office space on penthouse floors shall be provided with a riser outlet valve within the distances stated in section 27-935 of this article. In lieu of elevating the bottom of the gravity tank twenty-five feet above these outlets, an automatic fire pump with local supervisory alarms may be installed. The pump shall be capable of delivering two hundred fifty gpm. at a pressure of twenty-five psig. above the normal static pressure at the highest outlet supplied by the pump. The pump shall take suction from the gravity tank and be so arranged as to permit the siamese connection and any required manual fire pump to supply these outlets. No more than three stories of any penthouse or of penthouse and building stories combined, may be supplied by this method. (4) Pressure tanks shall be acceptable as the primary supply to the system provided all of the following conditions are met: a. A pressure tank, or tanks, so proportioned and located that a pressure of at least fifteen psig will be available at the nozzle of the highest required hose station, exclusive of roof outlets, when all the water has been discharged from the pressure tank. b. The storage quantities stated for gravity tanks in subparagraphs a, c and d of paragraph three of this subdivision are met and an additional volume equivalent to one-half of the required water storage space is provided for the required air. c. An air compressor is provided with suitable automatic control and of sufficient capacity to build up air pressure of at least seventy-five psig. in the tank within three hours and to maintain thereafter an air pressure between seventy and eighty psig. The automatic control shall also maintain the proper air-to-water ratio in the pressure tank. d. Pressure tanks shall be supplied with water through a fixed pipe, independent of the standpipe riser, and at least two inches in size. The water supply and connection shall be capable of supplying the tank at a rate of at least sixty-five gpm without reducing the pressure in the tank. The tank shall have a fixed water level plate on the end opposite the gauge glass, or other equivalent indicating device. (5) An automatic fire pump shall be acceptable as the primary supply to the system provided: a. The building is three hundred feet high or less, or if the building is higher than three hundred feet, the automatic fire pump is used only for the lower three hundred feet. The zones above three hundred feet shall be supplied by either a gravity tank conforming to paragraph three of subdivision (b) of this section or a pressure tank conforming to paragraph four of subdivision (b) of this section and in addition shall be supplied by the manual fire pump required by section 27-946 of this article. b. The automatic fire pump supplying the system or section has a capacity of at least five hundred gpm with a discharge pressure of at least twenty-five but not exceeding seventy psig (above the normal) static pressure at the highest hose outlet within the zone supplied by the pump plus the frictional resistance from the pump to the outlet at a flow of five hundred gpm. c. The electrical power to the pump is connected to the street side of the building service switch. (c) High and low risers and cross connections in standpipe systems. When tanks are used for the primary water supply, the standpipe systems may use separate riser systems serving, respectively, low and high parts of the building. Separate gravity tanks or pressure tanks may supply each zone, but in every case the standpipe system shall be so designed that every hose outlet of the entire system can be supplied through the required cross connections from every siamese connection and from every manually operated fire pump located at or below the street level. (d) Use of standpipe riser for sprinkler system water supply. Standpipe risers may be used to supply water to sprinklers in buildings classified in occupancy group E, one hundred feet or more in height, and in existing office buildings, one hundred feet or more in height, in accordance with applicable provisions of this subchapter and reference standards RS17-1 and RS17-2.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-946 Fire pumps.

§ 27-946 Fire pumps. (a) Additional water supply. Additional water supply shall be provided for standpipes in buildings over three hundred feet high. The primary water supply to the standpipe system shall be supplemented by one or more manually operated fire pumps as follows: (1) Standpipe systems in buildings more than three hundred feet high shall have at least one seven hundred fifty gpm pump or two five hundred gpm pumps. Pumps shall be capable of delivering their rated capacity at a pressure of fifty psig above the normal static pressure determined from the highest hose outlet (except the roof manifold) in the building plus the frictional resistance through the pipe from the pump to the outlet. (2) Where a group of two or more buildings, whether connected or separated, are operated under a single ownership and one or more buildings exceed three hundred feet in height, one fire pump shall be accepted as the supplemental supply for the group. The pump shall be installed in the building where the maintenance personnel are located, and a metal sign with one inch lettering shall be installed in each building at all of the hose outlets on the entrance floor indicating the location of the fire pump. (b) Standpipe pump rooms and location. (1) Fire pumps shall be installed at the entrance floor level or below, in rooms enclosed by noncombustible construction having a two hour fire-resistance rating and that are adequately heated, ventilated, lighted, and drained. The pump room shall have access to the street level by a direct opening to a street or a court, or by a passageway or stairway having a fire-resistance rating of at least two hours. (2) No person shall install other machinery or mechanical equipment in a fire pump room, unless the building is of construction class IA, IB, or IC. (3) No person shall place or install any equipment containing a refrigerant classified in groups A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 or B3 in subchapter thirteen of this chapter, or place or install gas piping or gas consuming devices or any other equipment within any space housing a fire pump that would create a hazardous condition. (c) Power supply for standpipe fire pumps. The type of fire pump and prime mover used in a standpipe system shall be suitable for the required service in a standpipe system provided for fire department use. If the prime mover employs any form of power other than an electric current supplied by a public utility, the use thereof shall be subject to the approval of the commissioner. Electrical power to the motor shall be taken from the street side of the house service switch. (d) Combined use of fire pumps for standpipe and automatic sprinkler systems. A fire pump that furnishes the required auxiliary water supply either to a standpipe system or to an automatic sprinkler system shall be accepted as furnishing the corresponding water supply to the other system if such pump is in the same premises, provided that in every such case of combined use, suitable relief and shutoff valves shall be installed so as to prevent the water pressure on the automatic sprinkler system resulting from any required operation of the pump for the standpipe system from becoming greater than one hundred seventy-five psig.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-947 Direct connections of standpipes to the public water system.

§ 27-947 Direct connections of standpipes to the public water system. (a) Control valve. Each service directly supplying a standpipe system or a fire pump shall be equipped with a control valve located under the sidewalk in a flush sidewalk box located within two feet of the street line, or in such other locations as may be approved by the department of environmental protection. The purpose of each such control valve shall be clearly indicated by the words "Standpipe Supply Control," cast in the cover of such flush sidewalk box or, in lieu thereof, a metal sign with one inch lettering shall be located on the exterior building wall indicating the use and location of the valve. (b) Water supply to standpipe fire pumps. (1) Any required manual or automatic fire pump shall draw from two independent street water mains in different streets, except that: (i) any manual or automatic fire pump serving a building classified in occupancy group J-2 that is fully protected by a system of automatic sprinklers may draw from a single water main; and (ii) an automatic fire pump may draw from a single water main if augmented by a suction tank or tanks, and if the valves at the meter and pump are provided with tamper switches that are wired to an approved central station of an operating fire alarm company. Where two services are installed, one service from the street water main shall be run directly to the pump, and the other service may be used for domestic water supply. The connection from water mains to the pumps shall be at least six inch pipe size and shall be flushed before connection is made to the system. Connections shall be in accordance with subchapter sixteen of this chapter. (2) In the event that two separate and distinct water mains are not available as a supply or the street mains cannot produce the required supply, there shall be provided a suction tank, or tanks, suitably located and of sufficient capacity to furnish the fire pump with at least a one-half hour supply at the rated capacity of such pump. Suction tanks shall be filled by a six inch connection to the water main, controlled by an automatic ball float valve in the suction tank. A six inch bypass shall be provided so that pumps may be fed directly from the street water main. (3) When a water service supplies both the domestic service and the manual fire pump, a remote control valve shall be placed on the domestic service connection at the point where such connection is taken from the city supply or service main. Such remote control valve shall be controlled from a point near the pump control panel. In lieu of a remote control valve, a manually operated valve may be installed to shut off the entire domestic water supply to the building, provided such valve is located in the fire pump room and is properly tagged for identification. Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1999/010.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-948 Installation of private fire hydrants.

§ 27-948 Installation of private fire hydrants. (a) When buildings are not required to be provided with a standpipe system, at least one entrance to the building shall be located within two hundred fifty feet of a street hydrant; or, a private hydrant of the same type as the city hydrant connected to the street water main shall be provided within two hundred fifty feet of entrance. The private hydrant shall be supplied by at least an eight inch pipe, and the domestic water supply may be connected to this private supply provided a shutoff valve is installed in a curb box in the domestic supply within six feet of the hydrant shutoff valve.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-949 Protection of standpipe system.

§ 27-949 Protection of standpipe system. (a) All parts of the standpipe systems that may be exposed to frost shall be protected from freezing by any one of the following methods: (1) The piping shall be frostproofed with insulation having a thermal conductance of 0.1 Btu/hr. per square foot of surface per degree F at a mean temperature of seventy to seventy-five degrees F. Insulation shall be protected to prevent water infiltration, and when exposed to the weather the insulation shall be covered with a forty-five pound roofing felt jacket or equivalent. (2) Steam or electric tracers may be used in conjunction with the insulation. (b) Tanks subject to freezing temperatures shall be protected.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-950 Standards for installation.

§ 27-950 Standards for installation. Details for installation, components, sizing, valves, fittings, protection against freezing, etc., for standpipe systems and related equipment shall be in accordance with reference standard RS 17-1.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-951 Inspections and tests.

§ 27-951 Inspections and tests. (a) Inspections. Every new system and every part of an existing system that is altered, extended, renovated, or repaired, except for ordinary repairs, shall comply with the applicable requirements of this subchapter. (b) Notification. Advance notification of tests and inspections required by this section shall be given to the commissioner. (c) Representation at test. Tests required by this section shall be conducted in the presence of the commissioner or his or her authorized representative, or in lieu thereof, the commissioner may accept a signed statement of an architect or engineer, whose name is submitted with the notification in subdivision (b) of this section, declaring that he or she has witnessed the tests and that the standpipe system meets the requirements of this code. If a representative of the commissioner does not appear within two days after receipt of such report by the commissioner, the report shall be deemed to be accepted by the commissioner. (d) Testing equipment required. All equipment, material, and labor required for testing a system or part thereof shall be furnished by, and at the expense of, the person responsible for installing the work. (e) Testing of system. Systems may be tested in sections, or parts, in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter. (f) Acceptance. Before the acceptance of such system, each system shall be subjected to the tests required by this section. (g) Standpipe system tests. (1) PRESSURE TESTS. a. The test shall demonstrate that the system will sustain a hydrostatic pressure of at least one hundred psig, and at least three hundred psig at the siamese connection, for a period of at least one hour at the topmost hose outlet and at the lowest fire pump supply connection to the system. In buildings not exceeding three stories or forty feet in height, the test pressures need not be more than fifty psig. in excess of the normal hydrostatic pressures at the topmost hose outlet, and this pressure must be maintained for a period of at least one hour. b. Pressure tanks shall be tested to demonstrate that they will sustain a hydrostatic pressure of at least one hundred fifty per cent of the normal maximum required operating pressure for a period of at least one hour. (2) FLOW TEST. The system shall be flow tested to determine that water is available at the top outlet of each riser, the lowest outlet in each riser, and through each siamese connection. The system shall be flushed to remove all foreign matter from the system. Flow shall be through at least a two and one-half inch hose without nozzle at each one of the above mentioned locations at separate times. (3) ALTERATION TESTS. When alterations, additions, or repairs are made to a standpipe system, the entire system shall be subjected to a hydrostatic test pressure of at least fifty psig at the highest hose outlet, and in addition, a flow test shall be made as stated in paragraph two of this subdivision through the new or altered portion of the system. (h) Pump tests. (1) Fire pumps shall be tested at the factory, and a certified test curve shall be furnished with each pump. (2) Pumps shall be tested after installation to ascertain that the pump is supplying its rated capacity at the highest required hose outlet or through the roof manifold. The test shall be performed as follows: a. At least fifty feet of approved two and one-half inch rubber lined hose equipped with a one and one-eighth inch nozzle shall be connected to the highest two and one-half inch hose outlet valve. One of these assemblies shall be connected in parallel for each two hundred fifty gpm of rated pump capacity. b. The nozzle or nozzles of the hose assembly shall discharge at, or above, the highest required hose outlet or through a manifold. c. Pitot tube gauge readings shall be taken at each nozzle to determine that the required pump capacity is being discharged. d. For manually operated fire pumps, the suction and discharge pressures shall be recorded for each step or pump speed. The pump rpm electrical current, and voltage readings shall be recorded with the specific discharge pressure for each supply condition. e. Automatic fire pumps shall be tested to ascertain that all of the automatic controls are in good working order. f. All of the above readings shall be noted on the required standpipe diagram or a framed chart, which shall be mounted in a visible location near the pump control panel. g. When pumps are supplied by two independent services, the test shall be conducted from each service independent of the other and, in addition, with both services supplying the pump. (i) Test equipment for fire pumps. (1) For every fire pump installation, there shall be provided for test purposes at least three fifty foot lengths of approved two and one-half inch rubber lined fire hose. Hose shall be hung in the pump room or other convenient location. (2) Three two and one-half inch by one and one-eighth inch nozzles, three spanner wrenches, and twelve washers shall be stored with the required hose.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-952 Standpipe signal systems.

§ 27-952 Standpipe signal systems. Standpipe signal systems shall be provided in accordance with section 27-974 of article five of this subchapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-953 Elevators for fire department use.

§ 27-953 Elevators for fire department use. Elevators for fire department use shall be provided as required by section 27-989 of article one of subchapter eighteen.

Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-53120Fetched: 10/24/2026