{"id":5706,"date":"2023-05-08T08:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T06:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/esperto-risponde\/is-pump-room-sprinkler-protection-always-necessary\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T09:47:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T07:47:20","slug":"is-pump-room-sprinkler-protection-always-necessary","status":"publish","type":"esperto-risponde","link":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/esperto-risponde\/is-pump-room-sprinkler-protection-always-necessary\/","title":{"rendered":"Sprinkler Protection for the Pump Room: When It Can Be Omitted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sprinkler protection for pump rooms<\/em>: UNI EN 12845 includes a provision that, when read \u201con its own,\u201d may appear to be a requirement that always applies. In reality, there are circumstances under which such protection may be omitted, but only in specific cases and subject to precise documentary verification.* <\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-cosa-indica-la-uni-en-12845-10-3-2\">Sprinkler Protection for Pump Rooms: What UNI EN 12845 (10.3.2) Specifies<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#perche-sembra-un-obbligo-sempre-ma-non-e-lunica-lettura\">Because it seems like an obligation \u201calways\u201d (but that\u2019s not the only way to interpret it)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#il-contributo-della-uni-tr-11438-2016-7-1-e-il-rimando-alle-eccezioni\">The contribution of UNI\/TR 11438:2016 (7.1) and the reference to exceptions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#le-eccezioni-nella-uni-10779-appendice-a-a-1-6-protezione-sprinkler\">Exceptions in UNI 10779 (Appendix A, A.1.6 \u201cSprinkler Protection\u201d)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#la-nota-verso-la-uni-11292-2019-6-2-cosa-cambia-se-gli-sprinkler-mancano\">Note on UNI 11292:2019 (6.2): What Changes If Sprinklers Are Missing<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#schema-pratico-quando-la-protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-e-obbligatoria\">Practical Guide: When Sprinkler Protection Is Required in the Pump Room<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#schema-pratico-quando-la-protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-puo-essere-omessa\">Practical Guide: When Sprinkler Protection in the Pump Room Can Be Omitted<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#conclusione-in-pratica\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-cosa-indica-la-uni-en-12845-10-3-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sprinkler Protection for Pump Rooms: What UNI EN 12845 (10.3.2) Specifies<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 10.3.2 of UNI EN 12845 contains the regulatory requirement that gives rise to this request: <strong>rooms housing pump sets must be protected by sprinklers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same article also specifies that the rules address <strong>how<\/strong> such protection <strong>must be implemented<\/strong>. Taken at face value, this approach often leads to an immediate conclusion: \u201cEvery fire pump room must be equipped with sprinklers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"perche-sembra-un-obbligo-sempre-ma-non-e-lunica-lettura\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Because it seems like an obligation \u201calways\u201d (but that\u2019s not the only way to interpret it)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If one focuses solely on the prescriptive clause of UNI EN 12845, it is natural to interpret it as a general requirement for <strong>all premises containing pump-sets<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key point, however, is that design and verification often require following the <strong>regulatory references<\/strong> cited in related technical documents, which help clarify when a requirement may allow for exceptions in specific cases.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"il-contributo-della-uni-tr-11438-2016-7-1-e-il-rimando-alle-eccezioni\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The contribution of UNI\/TR 11438:2016 (7.1) and the reference to exceptions<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upon reading section 7.1 of UNI\/TR 11438:2016, it becomes clear that <strong>exceptions<\/strong> to the requirements of UNI EN 12845 <strong>may be made in certain cases.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 7.1, citing UNI EN 12845, states that:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The rules require that a sprinkler system be installed to protect the premises themselves;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For power supplies used exclusively to power fire hydrant systems<\/strong>, refer to any exceptions listed<strong>in Appendix A of UNI 10779<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, to determine whether you are indeed subject to the \u201calways\u201d requirement, the next step is to check the specific conditions in UNI 10779.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"le-eccezioni-nella-uni-10779-appendice-a-a-1-6-protezione-sprinkler\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exceptions in UNI 10779 (Appendix A, A.1.6 \u201cSprinkler Protection\u201d)<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To identify the exceptions, refer to Appendix A of UNI 10779 (the text notes that, in the meantime, it has been updated to the 2021 edition). The relevant section is <strong>A.1.6 Sprinkler Protection<\/strong>, which states that: <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a pump room, <strong>if it is used exclusively to supply hydrants<\/strong> for <strong>hazard level 1 and 2<\/strong> areas and <strong>there are no units powered by internal combustion engines<\/strong>, the automatic sprinkler system <strong>may be omitted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, the omission is not a \u201cfree design choice\u201d: it is linked to a combination of conditions (exclusive use of fire hydrants, hazard levels 1\u20132, absence of internal combustion engines).<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"la-nota-verso-la-uni-11292-2019-6-2-cosa-cambia-se-gli-sprinkler-mancano\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Note on UNI 11292:2019 (6.2): What Changes If Sprinklers Are Missing<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UNI 10779 (A.1.6) includes the following note: \u201cSee section 6.2 of UNI 11292.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The text notes that, according to UNI 11292:2019, section 6.2:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>If there is no sprinkler system protecting the pump room<\/strong>,<strong>the electrical system<\/strong> must be <strong>flame-resistant in terms<\/strong> of materials and\/or installation (UNI EN 12845).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is an aspect that is often overlooked: when an exception allows for the omission of sprinkler protection in a room, it does not mean \u201cno additional requirements,\u201d because the condition regarding the electrical system comes into play.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"schema-pratico-quando-la-protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-e-obbligatoria\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical Guide: When Sprinkler Protection Is Required in the Pump Room<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on the scenario described in the text, sprinkler protection <strong>must always be in place<\/strong> when any of the following situations apply:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>pressurization units for use with sprinkler systems<\/strong> (regardless of the type of motor);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>pressurization units for use with sprinkler systems and fire hydrant systems<\/strong> (combined supply systems), regardless of the type of motor;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pressurization systems for fire hydrant networks<\/strong> that include <strong>main pumps driven by diesel engines<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In such cases, the approach described above leads to the conclusion that sprinkler protection for the pump room should be considered a requirement.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"schema-pratico-quando-la-protezione-sprinkler-del-locale-pompe-puo-essere-omessa\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical Guide: When Sprinkler Protection in the Pump Room Can Be Omitted<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sprinkler protection <strong>may be omitted<\/strong> if the room contains <strong>only<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>pressurization systems intended <strong>EXCLUSIVELY<\/strong> for use with fire hydrant systems;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>using <strong>ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY<\/strong> main pumps driven by <strong>ELECTRIC motors<\/strong>;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">and this is true <strong>if, and only if<\/strong>, the areas to be protected are classified as <strong>hazard levels 1 and 2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, in the absence of a sprinkler system, the following requirement still applies:<strong>the electrical system<\/strong> must be <strong>flame-resistant<\/strong> in terms of materials and\/or installation.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusione-in-pratica\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sprinkler protection for the pump room should not be considered \u201calways mandatory\u201d or \u201calways optional\u201d: it depends on the system configuration (sprinkler, hydrants, or a combination), the type of engine (electric or diesel\/internal combustion), and the hazard level (1\u20132), in addition to the resulting requirements for the electrical system when such protection is absent.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;d like, we can set up a guided assessment on a case-by-case basis, starting with: power supply type, motors installed, and area classification.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sprinkler protection for pump rooms: it is not \u201calways\u201d mandatory in every scenario. Let\u2019s take a look at what UNI EN 12845 requires and what exceptions arise from the references to UNI\/TR 11438, UNI 10779, and UNI 11292. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5707,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"tags":[1217,1218,668,654,1042,1216,568,581,549,570],"class_list":["post-5706","esperto-risponde","type-esperto-risponde","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-combined-power-supplies","tag-diesel-pumps","tag-fire-hydrant-networks","tag-fire-pump-room","tag-fire-pump-sets","tag-sprinkler-protection-for-the-pump-room","tag-uni-10779","tag-uni-11292","tag-uni-en-12845","tag-uni-tr-11438"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde\/5706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/esperto-risponde"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/esperto-risponde\/5706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idro-elettrica.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}