In This Issue:

Did You Know NSF Certifies Fire Sprinkler Piping?
NSF now tests and certifies fire sprinkler pipes and fittings to UL 1821: Standard for Safety Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service. Fire sprinkler pipe and fittings certified by NSF bear the NSF mark and UL 1821 mark. Read More

New Lead-Free Definition and Regulations for Plumbing Products
President Obama recently signed legislation revising the definition for “lead free” within the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) as it pertains to “pipe, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.” The changes are due to take effect 36 months after the date enacted, which is January 4, 2014. Read More

NSF Addresses Dezincification and Stress Corrosion Cracking Issue in Brass
Two new requirements were added to NSF/ANSI Standard 14-2009, Plastics Piping System Components and Related Materials to address problems that have been occurring in the field with certain types of brasses. Read More

Did You Know NSF Certifies Fire Sprinkler Piping?

NSF now tests and certifies fire sprinkler pipes and fittings to UL 1821: Standard for Safety Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service. Fire sprinkler pipe and fittings certified by NSF bear the NSF mark and UL 1821 mark.

With the International Residential Code (IRC) mandating fire sprinklers for one and two family dwellings, more states may begin to adopt these new requirements. Here are the answers to some FAQs on certification requirements for residential fire sprinkler piping:

Q: What standards apply to residential fire sprinkler pipe and fittings?
A: Residential fire sprinkler systems may be stand-alone systems (separated and isolated from domestic potable water using a backflow preventer) or multi-purpose systems (a system where the same piping serves as both fire sprinkler piping and domestic cold water distribution).

Fire sprinkler pipe and fittings for light hazard applications are rated at 175 psi at 140°F while multi-purpose piping may have a 130 psi at 120°F rating.

Q: How do commercial and residential fire sprinkler pipe and fittings differ?
A: The IRC and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D allow fire sprinkler piping to be protected by a material such as 3/8” thick gypsum wall board or ½” thick plywood. This opens up the residential fire sprinkler market to materials that may not meet the commercial light hazard fire sprinkler requirements. For example, many PEX piping products do not meet the UL 1821 requirements for use in commercial applications but are perfectly acceptable in residential applications since they are protected.

Q: Do all multi-purpose piping systems require protection?
A: No. The listing will reflect whether or not protection is necessary. UL 1821 does not require residential fire sprinkler piping to meet the fire exposure test as long as it is protected.

Q: What is NSF’s process for certifying Fire Sprinkler Piping?
A: First, NSF obtains formulation information on pipe and fittings from the manufacturer and registers the formulation used.

Q: I thought only UL could list and label fire sprinkler piping. Is that true?
A: No. While all products must be listed and labeled to UL Standards, NSF is designated as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to perform testing, listing and labeling to UL 1821.

Q: Who can I contact for more information?
A: For additional information, email asia@nsf.org for customers based in Asia or europe@nsf.org for customers based in Europe.

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New Lead-Free Definition and Regulations for Plumbing Products

On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed legislation revising the definition for “lead free” within the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) as it pertains to “pipe, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.” The changes are due to take effect 36 months after the date enacted, which is January 4, 2014. Click here for the enacted language. In brief, the revisions to the SDWA require that pipe, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures must meet a weighted average lead content of 0.25%.

Because NSF/ANSI Standard 61 requires that products comply with the lead-free requirements of the SDWA, all NSF 61 products falling into the scope of the legislation will be required to comply with the new 0.25% lead content by January 4th, 2014. In the meantime, evaluations to NSF/ANSI 61 including Annex G and NSF/ANSI 372: Drinking Water System Components -- Lead Content, provide evidence of compliance to the requirement.

The difference between the two NSF standards (Annex G and NSF 372) for Lead Leach Content NSF/ANSI 61 is the health effects standard dealing with leaching of all contaminants, and lead content requirements were originally added to Annex G of this standard following California’s adoption of 0.25% lead content. However, not all products are mandated to meet NSF/ANSI 61. Therefore, NSF/ANSI 372 was developed for products that require compliance with the lead content requirements.

NSF Standard Coverage

NSF Low Lead Marking

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NSF Addresses Dezincification and Stress Corrosion Cracking Issue in Brass

Two new requirements were added to NSF/ANSI Standard 14-2009, Plastics Piping System Components and Related Materials to address problems that have been occurring in the field with certain types of brasses. Under certain water quality conditions, fittings and valves made from copper alloys containing more than 15% zinc by weight may become susceptible to failure due to either dezincification or stress corrosion cracking.

Dezincification
Dezincification is a condition associated with brass alloys in which zinc ions diffuse out of solution, leaving porous copper behind. Migrated ions can then accumulate at the surfaces, resulting in large deposits called meringue dezincification, which can lead to reduced internal pipe diameter and eventually blockage. In addition to deposits, the remaining porous copper can lead to water weepage and, in extreme cases, complete failure due to reduction in mechanical properties.

To address this issue, NSF/ANSI Standard 14 now requires any copper alloy containing more than 15% zinc by weight in potable water systems to be tested according to ISO 6509: “Corrosion of metal and alloys–Determination of dezincification resistance of brass.” The method consists of exposing test pieces to copper (II) chloride solution followed by microscopic examination.

Stress corrosion cracking
Stress corrosion cracking is a process in which the formation and propagation of cracks are accelerated by tensile stresses while in a chemically reactive environment. Such stresses can be residual from cold rolling, welding, machining or applied loads. Typically, stress corrosion cracks are on the microscopic level making the detection of compromised parts difficult.

To evaluate resistance to stress corrosion cracking, the test method defined in ASTM B858: Standard Test Method for Ammonia Vapor Test for Determining Susceptibility to Stress Corrosion Cracking in Copper Alloys is utilized. In this test, an ammonia atmosphere is used to rapidly corrode samples, which may lead to the development and propagation of cracks. The specimens are then examined with a low power microscope for any signs of cracking.

As of March 31, 2011, manufacturers of copper alloy fittings certified by NSF must comply with the new requirement.

For more information, visit NSF’s website.

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Did You Know?

NSF International experts are available to conduct training or webinars on the latest regulations for your staff or associations. For additional information, email asia@nsf.org for customers based in Asia, or europe@nsf.org for customers based in Europe.

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