#352 – The Essential Guide to Tyco Sprinkler Heads

Tyco offers a massive variety of commercial fire sprinkler heads

Shopping for fire sprinkler heads can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Our continuing series on the commercial sprinkler offerings and features from major manufacturers helps readers understand what each company has to offer. We’ve covered Viking. Now, let’s see what Tyco brings to the table.

When it comes to fire protection, Tyco means business. Between the company’s massive portfolio of holdings and its international presence, it provides fire protection professionals with a lot of choices.

Tyco International (now Johnson Controls International), was created in 1960 as an experimental lab for government projects. The company’s fire protection branch was born in 1976 when, in a single stroke, it absorbed Australian fire protection company Wormald International and, with it, the Grinnell trademark (Grinnell was one of the earliest names in fire sprinklers). Tyco also acquired Star, Gem, and Central Sprinkler Company and still sells many of their old sprinklers with Tyco markings. If you need a replacement for a Star, Gem, Grinnell sprinkler, it may be a part of a Tyco series.

Tyco maintains multiple lines of commercial fire sprinklers, and this article examines these offerings’ core features. First, though, let’s explain some key takeaways about Tyco as a sprinkler manufacturer. In short, there are three key reasons someone may choose Tyco over another manufacturer:

• They provide an enormous amount of (often highly specialized) options
• Their sprinklers frequently have approvals that apply in jurisdictions outside the US and Canada
• They are a source of otherwise discontinued types of sprinklers that need to be replaced

Feel free to use this table of contents to skip to an explanation of each sprinkler line, plus an overview of the Tyco catalog:

• Understanding Tyco’s catalog
• Series TY-B
• Series TY-FRB
• Series TY-L
• Series TY-FRL
• Series RF-II, RF-III, Illusion, and CHEC
• Series ELO-SW

Shop commercial fire sprinkler heads from Tyco, including pendent, upright, sidewall, and concealed pendent sprinklers, on our website. Don’t hesitate to contact us to get help finding the exact part you need.

Understanding Tyco’s catalog

Before we dig into Tyco’s sprinkler selection, make sure you understand how to navigate Tyco’s international approvals and the relationship between discontinued sprinklers and Tyco’s catalog.

Also, learn which sprinkler finishes and coatings provide listed corrosion resistance. Finally, make sure you understand SIN numbers and how Tyco organizes its inventory into series.

Tyco’s international approvals

A global leader in the fire protection business, it’s only natural that Tyco’s products are frequently tested and approved by international organizations. UL and FM Global are gold standards for approval in North America, and Tyco’s products are almost invariably UL-listed in the US and Canada (“cULus”) and FM-approved. Their sprinklers also commonly bear the following marks:

• LPCB, the Loss Prevention Certification Board, is recognized globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Europe.
• VdS, a German certification agency belonging to the German Insurance Association.
• CE, a mark indicating that a product meets the health, safety, and environmental requirements of the European Economic Area (EEA) single market.
• NYC, indicating approval under New York City’s Fire Code.

As a consequence of having a vast number of sprinkler options and being an international titan, Tyco’s models are sometimes not consistently approved, even across the same SIN. Different testing standards can come into conflict with different specifications. For example, VdS does not usually approve sprinklers rated for 286 °F (141 °C) or above when they are recessed. Nor do they approve wax, lead, or wax-over-lead finishes. Always consult technical data sheets to determine if a specific temperature rating, finish, or installation option is approved in your area.

Because of its global presence, we’ll give Tyco’s specs in Imperial units for our United States readers and in SI units in parentheses for everyone else.

Tyco carries sprinklers that are otherwise discontinued

Several sprinkler brands are no longer available. However, this doesn’t always mean that you can’t find replacements. Tyco has acquired the following companies and includes their sprinkler designs in its catalog:

• Central Sprinkler (formerly with a SIN prefix of “C”)
• Gem Sprinkler Company and Grinnell Corporation (formerly with a SIN prefix of “G”)
• Star Sprinkler Incorporated (formerly with a SIN prefix of “S”)

Some sprinklers from these companies have been re-designated with “TY” SINs. In our overview of Tyco’s sprinkler lines, we’ll note which sprinkler can replace discontinued lines from Central, Gem, Grinnell, and Star. It is also possible to replace discontinued fire sprinklers with different models, as long as they share the same crucial performance characteristics. For more information on replacing old sprinkler heads, read these blogs.

Some Tyco finishes and coatings provide corrosion resistance

Tyco offers several different aesthetic and functional finishes for their commercial sprinkler heads. These are:

• Plain brass
• Chrome-plated
• Polyester paint (black and white)
• Poly-stainless
• Lead coating
• Wax coating
• Wax-over-lead coating

Different finishes make sprinklers aesthetically pleasing, and some can provide valuable corrosion resistance to extend the useful life of sprinklers in corrosive environments. Tyco’s poly-stainless coating is its proprietary corrosion-resistant coating. Besides this coating, the polyester, wax, lead, and wax-over-lead coatings are approved corrosion-resistant coatings whenever they are UL-listed or FM-approved. Learn more about corrosion-resistance in sprinklers by reading this blog.

Understanding SIN numbers and series to navigate a complicated catalog

Because Tyco’s catalog is so big, it’s critical to know how fire sprinkler part numbers work. Remember, every sprinkler manufactured from 2001 on has a sprinkler identification number (SIN) with an alphabetic prefix indicating the manufacturer. Tyco SINs begin with “TY.” The rule is that every uniquely constructed sprinkler gets a unique SIN number. When orientation (upright, pendent, etc.), K-factor (orifice size), thread size, response speed (depends on the size of the bulb), or aspects of the size and shape of the sprinkler change, the SIN number changes.

Because they offer so many different features, Tyco’s catalog is long. The company sorts sprinklers into these different series:

• TY-B: Standard-response bulb sprinklers (“B” stands for “bulb”)
• TY-FRB: Quick-response bulb sprinklers (“FR” stands for “fast response”)
• TY-L: Standard-response fusible link sprinklers (“L” stands for “link”)
• TY-FRL: Quick-response fusible link sprinklers
• RF-II, R-FIII, Illusion, and CHEH: concealed-head sprinklers
• ELO-SW: Extra-large-orifice sidewall sprinklers

You can choose from fusible-link or bulb-type sprinklers. For niche hydraulic applications, you can pick sprinklers with very small or very large K-factors (a number describing the pressure and flow involved in sprinklers). The company offers uncommon finishes like lead, wax, and wax-over-lead coatings. There are rarely-seen sprinkler styles, including vertical sidewall and concealed horizontal sidewall sprinklers. Tyco even has MRI-safe sprinklers. The list goes on.

Series TY-B includes Tyco’s everyday sprinklers

For most applications, Tyco’s Series TY-B is a likely choice. These standard-coverage, standard-response bulb sprinklers are generally rated for all hazards (except the sidewall sprinklers, which are rated for light and ordinary hazards) and have the following specs:

• Orientations: Upright, pendent, horizontal sidewall, vertical sidewall
• Available K-factors: 2.8 (4), 5.6 (8.1), 8 (11.5)
• Available thread sizes: 1/2 in. (15 mm)
• Available temperatures: 135 °F, 155 °F, 175 °F, 200 °F, 286 °F, 360 °F (57 °C, 68 °C, 79 °C, 93 °C, 141 °C, 182 °C)
• Available finishes: Brass, white polyester, black polyester, chrome, poly-stainless, wax, lead, wax-over-lead
• Approvals: cULus, FM, LPCB, NYC, VdS

Standard-response sprinklers from Gem and Grinnell’s previous Model A line were incorporated into Series TY-B.