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Peters Twp. residents question fire suppression system bursts

3 min read

McMURRAY – Donna Huffner Spencer told Peters Township Council Monday that her 82-year-old mother was displaced from her home in the Hidden Brook plan after a required fire suppression system burst twice within three days when the temperatures dipped Jan. 8 and again Jan. 11.

Spencer said the flow of water from the sprinkler system resulted in $60,000 to $70,000 in damages and forced her mother to live elsewhere until the house is repaired. Spencer said her mother may not be back in the house until the end of February. Under a township ordinance enacted in the late 1990s, certain homes, including those classified as patio homes like Spencer’s mother’s, must have a fire suppression system.

Converting the current copper pipe system to one that relies on an antifreeze formula, Spencer said, could cost her mother and additional $3,700. Her mother purchased the house and moved in August.

Bill Muzzey, township building inspector, said copper pipes are permitted under the current ordinance and building code, and told council the home of Spencer’s mother, when inspected, had the required installation and insulation in the attic. The type of insulation used, Muzzey said, was blown in, which can result in movement when workers later go in to the attic.

Peters Township Fire Chief Dan Coyle told council that blown-in insulation can shift, causing gaps near the pipes. With the recent cold temperatures, any gap could cause the pipe to burst. Coyle said he believed the $3,700 conversion cost “appears to be high.” Muzzey said he believed a similar conversion at patio homes in the Evergreen plan was about $800 per house.

Coyle said fire suppression sprinklers are 99 percent effective.

John Williams, president of the Hidden Brook Homeowners Association and a resident of Driftwood Drive, noted he had two burst pipes in his residence in two years, resulting in $150,000 in damages. He converted to the antifreeze-type system at a cost of $4,000 and has not had a problem since.

Williams said the development is monitored monthly to ensure the systems are functioning properly at an annual cost of $12,000, which is paid by the homeowners association.

“We’re getting a reputation to not buy in Hidden Brook,” he said.

Many of the development’s residents travel south for the winter and worry that when their home is vacant, a pipe will burst and cause significant damage.

Paul Jorgensen, who lives in the Prestonwood plan, said his home has the required sprinkler system and has not had any problems. However, he said, there is anxiety the system will fail, “and the cost of failure is enormous.” He asked council to make activating the sprinkler system an option.

After a lengthy discussion, council Chairman James Berquest said the township would review the situation and would welcome additional discussion. When Spencer asked what would happen if her mother opted to not turn on the system once repairs are made. Muzzey said if the suppression system was not activated as required, she would not receive an occupancy permit.

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